Long Time
by Chicago4EVERS
Summary: All called by the same name but I was the mysterious witch hunter who had no story. People seemed to forget, in the beginning there were three of us. I am the forgotten one, left in the shadows by the ones I thought were my best friends, by the one I loved. But you're heart can only get broken so many times before your self preservation kicks in, and mine did...a long time ago.
1. Introduction

I'd been in this woman's house for an eternity it felt like and it felt like longer since he'd been taken away from me. Why had we come across the old woman's house? Why had we been so stupid as to eat candy from it? Candy houses aren't normal, why hadn't we considered that and turned around? Another day with him here, even inside that wretched house with my abusive parents, would've made me the happiest person alive. Why was this woman a witch? So many questions that would never be answered. I sighed and decided not to cry this time at the miserable mess that was my life. I just sat there staring at the witch wondering how a creature could be so evil. She'd captured two sad runaways into her home, forced us to eat, forced us to clean, beat us, taken away my brother's life, and now I was next.

Suddenly the witch rose from her chair quickly. She sauntered over to the door grabbing its handle and swinging it open. There stood a young boy and girl. I instantly locked eyes with the two. Panic and fear flashed in their eyes as I screamed a warning for them to run while they still had the chance, yet, as quickly as it had come, the chance was snatched from them as they too entered the house where it would most likely be all three of our demise.

They were thrown into the "cage", as my brother and I had referred to it. When we would try to escape or fight back, it was used as a mean of restraint and punishment. _I'd given up after one last effort, right after she'd eaten and drank every piece of my brother as I lay in the back of the cage, my eyes squeezed tightly shut in fetal position my hands over my ears to refrain from hearing her smacking and savoring every little miniscule of my brother's feeble body. I'd pushed her as she opened the cage. I ran past her only to be snatched back by my hair. Screaming in pain, I fell to the floor and she grabbed my arm. I pulled away retrieving a chair, swinging it up, and smashing it into the side of her face. As she turned back towards me, a sadistic smile spread over her lips. She walked slowly toward me then disappeared just a few feet from me. I turned around frantically only to be knocked again to the ground this time with her broom. She smiled evilly coming towards me again. I quickly stood up readying my stance. She came at me, I side stepped picking up an object and hurtling it at her body. It hit it's target. She stumbled back and I attacked her. I could feel the hurt and emotion from losing the only thing I ever loved spill out of me like a gushing waterfall. I punched and slapped her face. My body was flung across the room and I landed on the wooden table. She grabbed my arm and swung me into the "cage" yet again quickly shutting the door behind her. I ran up to the bars clutching both of my hands onto them as I screamed words of hate unto the evil witch standing before me. She smiled showing her rotten teeth slowly lowering her face so that now she was at eye level to me. She said slowly and deliberately, "There's no point of you trying to escape me because you will end up just like your skimpy, delicious, little brother." _

The words she'd spoken stayed with me and I'd decided to live as long as I could manage; for my brother, for myself. I waited for the young siblings to register all that had just happened to them, to weep over the situation they were experiencing, and to pull themselves together and accept the predicament they were in before I spoke. "I'm Charlotte," I said softly looking the children straight in the eye. The boy stared at me with a blank face while the girl sniffled and said, "I'm Gretel. This is my brother Hansel." The boy still stared. He looked about my age with long brown hair. His sister's was much longer almost reaching her rear. She was younger than the two of us yet she'd been courageous enough to speak first while her brother remained silent. She must be brave, I concluded in my head. "I'm sorry," I said.

I wasn't sure why I had apologized, I wouldn't have wanted to hear apologies while I was in the "cage" for the first time, but it just slipped out of my mouth. In that moment, it seemed to be the most appropiate words to say. "It's okay," Gretel said. "Um, what...what happened to you two?" I asked. "Well we-" she started to explain. Her brother cut her off and began to let out his frustrations, directing them towards me. "Don't tell her anything. We don't even know this girl. She could be in league with the witch. How can we trust her? Who are you? Why are you acting like you care anything about us? You're stuck in the same situation we are and us becoming best of friends won't change any of that." I was stung by his words although I didn't know why. "Hansel," Gretel said to her brother. "No Gretel, why are you here? How long have you been here? You haven't told us anything but you want us to share with you?" he said. The witch rushed up to the cage, getting tired of listening to Hansel yell, and pointed a wavering finger towards him.

"I'm going to eat you first, if you don't shut up," she said. "You should eat her first. She has no purpose here. I have Gretel...who do you have?" he spat at me. Although he was right in everything he said, it sparked something inside of me that made me explode. "You SHUT YOUR MOUTH RIGHT NOW. I HAD someone. Someone did love me and I loved him, but he was taken away from me by that evil hag. She ate my brother right in front of me, you UNGRATEFUL, MISERABLE, INSENSITIVE, UNCARING TWIT!" I screamed at him. "Either way, we all are getting eaten and the quicker I go the quicker your sister dies and then you'll be last with all the memory of death still looming making you so depressed you wouldn't mind dying. So before you start proposing who dies first, think about how you have no possibility of surviving this so no sense in prolonging the inevitable. I won't talk to you and your sister since you so clearly have a problem with me doing so, but in turn you should think about getting your mouth sewn shut. It seems nothing good comes out of it anyway. It most likely won't be missed." And with that statement I turned and went to the far back of the cage. The witch had went back to her business, Gretel was probably picturing herself being eaten, she wore a far off look on her face, and Hansel stared at me. His face began to soften and now instead of a look of intense anger and fear, there was a look of guilt and admiration. I sat down on the floor rolling my knees up to my chin and holding my legs in my arms. I turned away from this hurtful place, these hurtful people and eventually drifted off to sleep.

I woke up early morning, as I always did, to, in my mind, speak to my brother. I wiped my eyes blinking them rapidly to adjust my vision. I began talking, "Hey Troy, it's me again. I've got company this time. It looks like we're not the only two dumb enough to eat candy off of a house." I laughed at the joke my brother had always made. My tone turned serious as I began to speak again, "I miss you rascal." I smiled at hearing his nickname, yet tears were streaming down my face. I bowed my head down into my knees and sobbed. I felt a hand touch my knee softly and I looked up quickly finding Gretel's youthful face in front of mine. "Are you okay?" She asked sweetly. "I'm fine," I said smiling appreciative of her constant concern with me. Although I did correct her saying,"We should probably stop talking. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your brother." "She wouldn't be in trouble," Hansel whispered sitting up. His sudden movement had frightened me and I jumped in the air standing up quickly. I took a deep breath after realizing it was only the insensitive boy from yesterday.

"Why is that, you've suddenly had a change in heart?" I spat at him still enraged from his rant yesterday. He slowly stood up walking towards me and sat down at my feet. "I apologize for yesterday," he said. "Ha," I retorted, "Have you suddenly grown some humanity or maybe...some consideration? That would be nice." He patiently waited for me to finish and replied saying, "My sister is the only thing I have and the thought of losing her...of her having to deal with losing me. I just can't imagine...that happening…" He struggled with his words. "I'm sorry for the loss of your brother, but just think of the same thing happening to my sister or even to me, even with the way I was acting...it doesn't seem...you don't seem...like the type of person…" "How would you know what type of person I am?" I asked my anger still not subsiding. "Because I saw the look in your eye when you saw us standing at that door. I saw the warning, the helplessness, the fear...the sorrow." He explained. My face softened as he spoke these words. I stared at him wondering how this boy could be the same person from yesterday. The one who had immediately gone off the handle at the first vulnerable person he'd seen without any concern of their feelings. How could this boy now sitting at my feet be one and the same? He looked at me as well and a smile crept up on his lips begging me to forgive him, look past his transgression and get to know who he really was. His eyes were pleading for a truce...a friendship. I cleared my throat before saying, "I'm Charlotte." I held out my hand. "Hansel," he replied taking my hand in his.


	2. Freedom

Weeks passed slowly in our confinement. The longer the witch waited only seemed to prolong the agony I would feel leaving my friends behind. Although Hansel and Gretel made it bearable. We discussed fantasies of breaking out, being freed from our captivity. We revealed stories of our past, comforting each other's sorrows, laughing at humorous and outrageous tales, delving into one another's history, and listening intently to every word uttered.

Gretel poured hope into our beings, never letting us have a brief moment of surrender or defeat. She shined with a light bright enough for anyone to see. She became like a sister to me. I chatted with her often, enjoying discussing the topics I could never share with my brother or Hansel. I'd only dreamed of having a sister and it seemed as if this desire had finally been fulfilled. She told fables filled with fighting princesses, knights in shining armor, good witches, and handsome princes. Her stories never deterred me from the fact that Gretel was tough, tougher than most, and if given the chance, she would take the witch down.

Hansel and I grew closer than I could've imagined. The memories of the harshness from our first encounter were long forgotten replaced with feelings of fondness and overpowering like. Hansel was my shoulder to cry on, my dependable and loyal friend always there when I needed him, not that he could really go anywhere else. His sister teased us regularly, saying he was the prince and I , the princess. I never failed to blush wildly each time with Hansel smirking and kissing my cheek, no doubt to please his sister, making my blush deepen and smile widen.

I knew Gretel was right albeit I would never admit this out loud. Looking into Hansel's grey eyes, his pink kissable lips stretched over his surprisingly white teeth when he smiled, embraced by his warm protective arms while we sleep and as he hugs me, the warmth, care and pure love in his heart he showed for his sister, I could only hope for me as well, and his boyish dirty plump face portraying a carefree aura that I found myself all too familiar with, initiated a tender and affectionate feeling which overcame my heart every time I laid eyes on him and he ran through my head constantly.

The witch continued to feed Hansel and I, saving Gretel for work instead. We tried not to focus on the witch's intentions but it proved difficult especially on this day when she snatched me out of slumber and to the outside of the cage where I could see Hansel sitting in a chair not far from me, his eyes filled with anger and a hint of fear, and Gretel preparing the stove which was blazing with the fire that burned inside of it. "You're day has come," the witch spoke, "To die as your brother did." I struggled against her grip. She dragged me toward Hansel and bound my hands as she'd done his. He offered a small tight smile that I couldn't help but return as we waited worriedly as we inched closer to our deaths.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a jagged knife settled on the table. I wondered if I could reach it. I looked up to see Gretel undoing the binds that held her hands while the witch was preoccupied with the stove. Gretel gave an approving nod to the knife as the witch said, "It's not hot enough." Rising from her crouched position, she stood straight. Finally noticing Gretel free, she made a move towards her. I quickly sprung to action, pushing myself up from the chair and grabbing the knife. I cut the rope around my wrists, throwing the knife to Gretel, all in one swift movement. I moved to free Hansel, seeing the witch attempting magic against Gretel in my peripheral.

Shockingly, nothing happened. A look of bewilderment passed on the witch's face, mirroring mine. I pushed the confusion away working to free Hansel's hands. When I'd finally done it, we rushed to Gretel's side pushing the injured, stabbed witch inside the stove. We slammed it closed leaning in to stare at the burning witch. "Is it hot enough now?!" I heard Gretel scream. Someone grabbed my hand and I looked up to see Hansel smiling at me. "We're free." he said. "Indeed we are Hansel," I said smiling at his infectious grin. We walked away from the house and all the bad memories associated with it.


	3. Thank you

We walked not completely sure of what direction to take. Hansel's hand continued to cling to mine with his sister's tightly secured in his other. Suddenly I was tumbling to the ground being yanked down with such force I hit the ground with a thud right next to Hansel. He was breathing deeply and heavily. I sat up quickly looking af him worriedly.

"Hansel! Hansel! What is it?!" Gretel and I exclaimed. He could barely answer. "I can't-" he struggled. His voice was breathless. A memory ran through my mind and I quickly stood up sprinting back to the witch's dungeon. I didn't stop even to hear the protests and inquiries coming from Gretel just kept going, determined to save his life. Luckily we hadn't traveled far and with my quick pace I made it to the candy structure in no time.

I searched frantically for the medicine until I found it. Grabbing the needle, I traveled quickly back to Hansel's convulsing body before stabbing him in his upper thigh and pushing the medicine into his leg. He sucked in a deep breath, struggling to get his breathing back under control. I watched him intently. Once it seemed his heartbeat had slowed and lungs could take in air, I whispered,"Are you okay?" His arms were suddenly around me pulling me to him. "You saved my life," he stated. I said nothing just sitting there letting myself be calmed by his presence. He pulled back to look at my face and wiped something wet from my cheek. I hadn't realized I was crying.

"Thank you," he said. I could only nod. Gretel waited patiently for us to finish before wrapping her brother in her own hug and then me, muttering a 'thank you' as well. I leaned back against a tree waiting for them. _I'd almost lost him_, was all I could think. My eyes opened to see a hand out stretched for me and I slowly took it standing shakily to my feet. "Are you two okay?" I asked before moving any further. They exchanged looks before pulling me into a hug. "We're okay because we have you." Gretel informed me and I felt Hansel's head move up and down in agreement.

"We should get out of the woods before it gets dark," I suggested pulling away and wiping my face again, "And before you both make me die of crying too much." They chuckled at this, yet pulled me into another bone crushing hug. I was convinced they would never let go. Before continuing on, we took as much medicine as we could find. We ran, jogged, and walked, hurrying to get out of the forest, until we came to a town that welcomed us proudly after hearing our brave tale. We were washed, given clothes, and a place to stay. I stayed up that night walking to the window to look out at the stars and the moon. It was surreal to think that we had just escaped the evil witch only a few hours ago. It seemed so far back now.

I heard rustling from behind me then a voice saying, "We spent so much time in that house not being able to sleep without fear and now that we can you still don't sleep." I turned to see Hansel smirking at me. I looked up at his sister soundly asleep. I looked at him opening my mouth, but closed it deciding instead to simply tell him the truth. Opening my mouth again I spoke, "I couldn't sleep, so accumstomed to having your arms around me, my body wouldn't give me the relief." I turned around feeling myself blush and looked up at the stars again. "You could have asked me Charlotte. I have no problems holding you. I actually prefer it." he said, "You saved my life today after all." "I couldn't have let you die, you know that." I responded.

The floor creaked under his weight as he made his way towards me. "Charlotte," he called my name. The way he said it made it impossible not to turn and face him so that is what I did. When I turned I immediately found his eyes, for his face was extremely close. "You could have let me die." he whispered, "There was no reason for you to save me." "Hansel, don't say that," I said, "I had every reason in the world to save you and one was simply because I wanted to. I couldn't bear to see you die." There was an intensity in his eyes that I discovered he only showed when standing this close to me. He leaned in and I found myself doing the same.

His lips closed around mine moving slowly, deliberately, and foreign. This feeling he was giving me, it was unknown but...I loved it so I continued to kiss him. We pulled away for much needed breath touching our foreheads together softly, our breath fanning one another's lips. "Thank you," I managed to squeak out. "For what?" he asked. "My first kiss," I answered. "You didn't have to thank me. I was glad to do it." he shared, "I've wanted to try that for a while now."

"Me too," I admitted. "So...?" he trailed off curiosity in his eyes. "It was okay," I said trying to feign seriousness as I removed his arms from my waist and walked to my bed. "Just okay," he commented following my movements and wasting no time to put his hands back to their previous position. "It was amazing," I said snuggling next to him as we laid down. "Amazing," he agreed. "And thank you." "For what?" "Saving my life." "My pleasure." I replied sending him a small smile, "I wouldn't have had it any other way. I quite like you alive." "I like me alive too," he said chuckling softly. I laughed with him before placing another sweet kiss on his lips. "Goodnight," I whispered against his chest. "Goodnight." he returned and we fell asleep side by side.


	4. Growing

We spent some time in that village. We enjoyed it here where not many asked questions leaving us to our business, and we had plenty of it. Hansel and Gretel pleaded for revenge and trained every day for just that. Of course I joined them helping with my own share of knowledge. Inventions were made: crossbows, guns, and death traps. We were set to kill, what exactly...none other than witches. We practiced day in and day out. Mainly in the woods, although never at night. That would surely be suicide.

I was more experienced with hand to hand combat, my speed and agility was to thank for that, while Gretel's aim and shooting capability soared above mine or Hansel's. Hansel had a mix of our qualities. He could take me down, though not nearly as much as he would like, and was much like his sister when it came to firing a shot.

I perfected Hansel's medicine using the memories from when the witch had made it for my brother. I cherished my time spent here with Hansel and Gretel. I no longer felt pain only joy from times spent with the siblings.

Hansel and I stole kisses here and there with Gretel promising to plan the wedding as soon as possible. Our relationships built and I began to learn more and more, so much so that I believed I knew them better than myself.

Hansel was resigned and stern, only letting his guard down around Gretel and I. His love for his sister trumped everything and I respected that, me being the same with my brother. He was prideful and protective. With us being the only people he spoke to, his social skills were lacking but he made up for it with his handsome looks. His parents were never a topic to be discussed and made both Gretel and I promise this.

Gretel was tough and strong, yet had a feminine and soft touch inside of her as well. She yearned to find out about her parents even with Hansel's obvious and constant disapproval of the situation. She was curious and practical, needing proof and evidence before making her next move. She was logical, opportunistic, kind, and helpful and she'd never ever go down without a fight.

Both siblings seemed hostile toward others , not wanting to make relationships they felt would only end up failing. Both were unusually brave and smart. But while Hansel was brash, Gretel was patient and thoughtful. Still I loved them both no matter their differences and every second with them brightened my mood.

Our training paid off one day when a new evil erupted onto our little town, but for once we were not afraid.


	5. Defined

The sheriff, who we knew well, offered us money to recover missing children from what he presumed to be a witch. We put up no argument, eager to take down another witch, and decided to set out on our journey when the sun rose. We traveled back to our home, Hansel and I hand in hand and Gretel leading the way. When arriving back, Gretel quickly prepared for bed, as she was younger, while Hansel and I sat up speaking between ourselves.

"Are you afraid?" Hansel asked. I looked at him and he was already examining me with concern evident in his eyes. "Gretel and I chose this, not you. I never wanted this for you. You should just-" he began rambling but I cut him off. "Hansel, calm down. What is bothering you?" I inquired taking his face in my hands. "I can't lose you or Gretel. Not like my parents." he said removing my hands and placing them in his. "They were supposed to love us, take care of us, but they left us by ourselves." he ranted. His face softened and he glanced lovingly towards his sister who was now sound asleep. "Gretel still cherishes them. How could they do that to her?" I pulled his face back to me with my hand and I noted his tears wiping them away with my index finger. "Your parents left because they didn't know how extraordinary you and Gretel are. We've prepared for this fight. We've trained for it and we're going to finish it. You didn't force me to stay Hansel. I signed up for this, so don't try to push me away now. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying for you and for Gretel. Don't worry, okay?" I looked into his eyes. "Okay?"

His head nodded slowly and I smiled. He immediately returned the gesture speaking again,"How am I so lucky to have found you in that house?" "I don't know, but I'm glad you did." I said a smile permanently plastered on my face. "Me too. More than you know," he whispered as he begun to lean in. I smiled as his lips pressed against mine causing the millions of butterflies in my stomach to flutter rapidly. I could feel the heat between us warm considerably to the point where we were both struggling for breath. Neither of us wanted to break away, yet our lungs begged for air and we finally surrendered gasping for oxygen to fill our bodies. Hansel held his weight off of me as he hovered over me. His face was still reddended and breathing still jagged from the steamy kiss. We were silent for some time just gazing into the deep depths of each others eyes. Brown meeting grey. "Never leave me." he whispered. "I promise," I responded before pulling him back to me to resume our heated interaction.

The next morning, we were dressed and ready to set out on our mission. A local led the way to the last witch sighting before scurrying away when he believed he had led us far enough.

We walked slowly, cautiously to the wretched house. Gretel did the honors, kicking the door open with her heavy boot. The scene before us was one we'd seen before, one we ourselves had experienced. Several children were in a cage to the far left and back of the small cottage and four dark eyes stared at us curiously, wondering who would dare interfere with the workings of witches. "Don't move," a small but intimidating Gretel threatened, "Or my arrows will rip your throat out." The witches exchanged looks before ignoring Gretel's threats and springing to action. Before the tall witch could even reach Gretel, Hansel had shot her down, right in the middle of her forehead. The other witch, bewildered, stared at the three of us, contemplating her next move. "I suggest you listen, unless you want to end up like your friend." I spoke up. Hansel remained silent but I could see the smile he wore on his face out of the corner of my eye.

"They never learn," I mumbled as the witch crashed through a window and out to the forest. "I got it," Hansel said before running after her. "Go with him," Gretel told me, "I got it here." I nodded to her watching her free the children before running after Hansel. I could see the witch clearly and she was fast, but I had no doubt that I could catch up. I passed Hansel easily closing in on the witch. I pulled one of our airborne traps out of my bag chucking it at the witch. It closed around its target leaving her flailing and defenseless on the forest floor. "She looks upset." I commented as Hansel caught up. "Guess she should learn to listen then." he said chuckling. I laughed with him. "Oh stop moving," I spoke getting tired of her continuous struggle. Hansel laughed again, bashing the witch's head with his heavy gun. "Better?" he asked looking away from the unconscious witch. "Better," I answered.

We returned the children dragging the two witches behind us as we went. The mayor insisted on burning their bodies and no one protested as they went up in flames. We received gratitude, recognition, and riches. That day, the day we defeated those two witches just as easily as taking a breath, marked a special occurrence. It defined us, defined our abilities and broadcasted it to the world. We were no longer ordinary children. We had begun to be called **Witch Hunters** and that's just what we were.

**A/N: They did not have sex just to clarify if anyone thought that. **


	6. Dreams Do Come True

We traveled now from town to town ridding them of witches. Our names became well known among mortals and witches alike. We went back numerous times to the town that had saved us so many years ago, Augsberg. The supernatural seemed to gravitate towards this city. We arrived early morning deciding to get right to work and made our way to the forest. After countless journeys through these woods we no longer needed a guide.

Walking along, a twig snapped behind me and I quickly pulled my gun aiming at the sound. Gretel and Hansel matched my movements flanking my sides. "Ah the famous witch hunters." a chilling voice spoke. I could barely see through the leaves covering the culprit. "Who are you?" I demanded. "I have been dreaming of meeting you." she said ignoring my question. The witch stepped out from her hiding spot exposing her raggedy clothes, decomposing skin, decaying yellow teeth, harsh and frightening face, and a smile that would send a child running and screaming the other way. "Then dreams do come true," I voiced, my gun still trained on her, "Even for someone as ugly as you." My face contorted to a look of disgust as she approached me.

"Come any closer and I'll blow your brains out." This was Gretel's voice on my right, leveled and calm. The witch immediately stopped. "Oh and you must be Hansel and Gretel. The other two witch hunters, the ones immune to magic." She said the word magic with an intense level of awe in her voice, as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. She turned back to me, "You on the other hand, you don't have the same privilege." With a flick of her wrist, she suspended me in the air smashing my body into a tree. "Charlotte!" The voices of of Hansel and Gretel rang out in the morning air as I struggled, breathing heavily. Before I could sit up on my elbows, I was flung through the air again. "Bitch!" I said pushing myself up again. She swung me again and I groaned. I sat there waiting for the next surge of air to gush around me but it never came. I still sat unmoving letting the dizzy, sick feeling pass me before opening my tightly shut eyes. Hansel and Gretel were battling the witch, charging her at impromptu times yet the witch still stood flinging them left and right, up and down. Neither looked at me, so intent on slaying the witch. I closed my eyes again eventually mustering enough strength to push myself off the ground when both of the siblings found themselves flat on their back.

I heard groaning but ignored it training my eyes and gun on the witch. I shot her in the heart as she turned to look at me. Her body slumped to the ground, a grimace now permanently sketched on her face. Before anyone could react, I threw a match on her body. Her carcass was quickly engrossed in flames. The fire sputtered as we stared on for a moment in silence before Hansel rushed to my right side and Gretel to my left. Arms were flung around me only to quickly retract when a cry of pain escaped my lips. "What?" I asked Hansel who was looking at me doubtfully. "Look at you," he stated infuriatingly. I examined my appearance. Cuts and scrapes were visible throughout my body and I was covered from head to toe in leaves and dirt. "It's not that bad," I said trying to prevent the impending argument that was bound to come. As soon as the words left my lips, I knew they were the wrong ones. "NOT THAT BAD?!" Hansel said his voice rising in volume.

"Hansel please don't start," Gretel's small voice spoke from her spot at my side. I looked towards her small figure and immediately cradled her in my arms ignoring the protest of my limbs as I moved. She didn't hesitate to wrap her own arms around me. I knew Hansel would listen to his sister, so I paid no mind to his presence behind me. "Lets go," Hansel muttered exasperatedly. I heard his footsteps retreat when I turned and watched his back moving farther and farther away from us. Gretel squeezed my hand before running after her brother and I followed shortly after leaving the witch's remains burning into the air.


	7. Concern is Overrated

We arrived back at the inn that was currently our residence. The tension was clearly in the air as it always was when I got hurt. Gretel quickly dressed my wounds, careful to cause as little pain as possible, like I'd shown her a dozen times.

Hansel sat irritatingly quiet in the corner glaring at the floor as if it was the enemy. After wrapping me up, Gretel grabbed her things and rushed out of the door leaving me and Hansel alone in our room. I stole a peek at him to discover his eyes already staring intensely back at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked concern plastered over his face.

"Great," I said giving him my best smile. I shifted a bit on the bed and winced, betraying my previous words. His eyebrows scrunched together, clearly displeased by my lie.

He still walked towards me, climbing on the bed, and gently wrapped his arms around me from behind, taking care to not hurt me further. "It doesn't sound like you're okay." he breathed into my ear. He placed a kiss on my ear as I leaned back against him loving the warmth he provided me. Hansel made me so weak. With just a word, just a touch, I was crumbling at the knees right into his arms.

"I don't understand why you insist on putting yourself through this pain," he spoke resting his chin on my head.

"Hansel..." I warned. I didn't want to have this conversation again. We'd had it more than enough times now.

"No." He replied stubbornly. "You stupidly risk your life every day and it seems like I'm the only one who cares about that."

"It's good to die doing something you love, right?" I stated emotionlessly. His continuous concern for my well-being was both annoying and sweet. It made me feel fragile but loved.

"I don't know whether you're joking or not." he voiced moving his head to watch my face carefully.

"Hansel," I started placing a hand on his cheek. He leaned into my palm as I continued, "I don't plan on dying anytime soon. You can't get rid of me that easily." Using comedy to lessen the severity of the conversation seemed like a good road to take. Unfortunately, he didn't take the bait.

"You aren't like Gretel and I. You can't protect yourself. If something ever happened to you..."

"Glad to know what you think about my witch hunting skills." I said, pulling away from him with a sigh. The fact that I wasn't immune to magic like the siblings was a constant source of conflict between us. Me and Hansel at least.

"Where are you going?" he questioned.

"To the market. Is that okay? Do you think I can handle going down to the street by myself or am I too defenseless to do even that? Maybe I'll fare better with a drunkard than a witch."

"You know that's not what I meant-"

"That's all I heard." I told him throwing my hands up in aggravation. "I don't cut it with the professionals, right? Like you and Gretel. I'm not good enough. Now I know you think I'm a weak little girl that can't protect herself. That's good to know Hansel though I do wish you would have told me sooner."

"Charlotte-"

"No Hansel." I cut him off sharply. "I'm not weak and fragile. I'm not a precious, delicate flower. And if you don't know that by now, we must not be as close as I thought." I didn't wait for his response, just left the room slamming the door behind me.

I stepped out into the cool night wrapping my arms around me for warmth. My body still ached but I could barely feel the pain with the thoughts roaring inside my head.


	8. Knowledge is Power except with Love

I sat down atop the rusted fountain in the center of the town square, gazing out upon the stars and almost empty streets. My eyes landed on a girl, slightly younger than me, but pretty all the same. Her hair was a startling orange over fair skin and her brown eyes regarded me curiously. Her mouth slowly stretched into a smile, and she walked towards me coming to a stop right in front of me, a little too close for strangers, as I watched her with narrowed eyes.

She spoke first, "Hello."

"Hello." I replied politely.

"What brings you out so late?"

"Oh, you know...fresh air and all." I responded with a shrug.

Her laughter rang out loudly in the otherwise quiet night as I watched on cautiously. She was very friendly, more so than I was used to; generally us witch hunters kept to ourselves.

"You're funny." She complimented.

"Thank you." I looked up to the stars waiting for her to leave me but then her voice sounded again and I cringed, already tiring of this social interaction.

"Well, aren't you going to ask why I'm out this late?" Her forwardness caught me off guard,yet I did as she asked.

She leaned forward conspiratorially, glancing left then right, and finally answered, "I'm practicing magic." I hopped up away from the lunatic wincing from the pain that shot through my aching muscles.

"You're in pain," she frowned. Her concern made me even more cautionary. _Why did she care?_

"I'm fine." I lied backing away from her. She had to be crazy; that was the only explanation. Witches were ghastly, ugly things so there was no way she could be one.

"You're afraid-"

"You're mad!" I accused still stumbling back from her.

"You don't believe me." I swiftly shook my head in the negative and took another step back. When her smile returned, my heart almost jumped from my chest.

"I'll prove it!" She lunged for me before I could react making us both fall. I groaned in pain, closing my eyes and clenching my teeth together.

Then suddenly just as it had come, the pain instantly left my body. My eyes snapped open while the girl just stared down at me, a triumphant smirk on her face. She climbed off me offering her hand which I hesitantly took.

"So...you're a witch?"

A proud smile lit up her face, "A good witch. Yes."

"And...you just healed me?"

"Yes." I stood just looking at her playing it over and over again in my head trying to figure out how I'd got it all wrong.

There were good and bad witches. It made sense to an extent.

"Why did you tell me?"

"You just have that trustworthy quality about you."

I nodded accepting her answer, "Well...thank you." There wasn't much else I could say that didn't include me losing my mind so I just settled with those few words.

"You're welcome." Then, as if just realizing it, she held her hand out in greeting, "My name's Mina."

"Charlotte," I replied shaking the hand she presented. Mina hooked our arms together grinning at me.

"May I accompany you home?"

"You may." I granted, smiling back at her. We began to walk, swaying back and forth as we went.

"Was tackling me really necessary?"

Her laugh rang out as she gave my arm a friendly squeeze, "Absolutely!"

~~~~~~~~~Skip~~~~~~~~~

I parted ways with Mina once we'd said our goodbyes. I wanted to tell Hansel of her, that not all witches were evil. There could be an alliance. This could benefit us greatly. I was excited. I was anxious. But overall I was just happy.

"Where the fuck have you been?" My head snapped up to meet Hansel's angry eyes upon my entrance and all thoughts of telling him were replaced with ones of frustration.

"I told you I was going out." I told him, my voice shaking with suppressed rage.

"Right, you wanted to prove a point so you left! Well, have you done it?! Are you done making stupid decisions so that you'll look tough because I'm tired of being worried about you when you don't even care! But I do Charlotte and you should too." I listened on in silence but the more words he spoke, the more my frustrations rose until they all burst or of my mouth.

"Goodness Hansel! Just shut the hell up! Why do we always have to argue? I get it! You care and I know you don't want to see me hurt but do you really think I want to hear about that every day because despite what you may think. Everything I do, I do for a reason. And I'm really tired of arguing about the same stuff with you! I'm stupid. I'm weak. I get that's what you think but really, I love you too damn much for us to be fighting like this every chance we get!" Hansel took a step back from me, face paling and eyes widening in shock.

"What?" I huffed.

"You just said...you love me."

A large sigh passed my lips as I realized he was right, yet instead of excuses and lies, I decided to tell the truth, "I do Hansel. I love you. I've loved you for years now."

He didn't say anything and it pained me that he still couldn't say it back. He still thought I would go running for the hills. He still didn't trust me.

"It's been so long Hansel and you still don't trust me?" The question came out sadly and softly. I could barely get it out knowing that I put so much trust in him, so much love. I would give him anything and everything but it seemed the whole thing was one sided.

"Why can't you accept that I'm here to stay? Gretel did so easily."

"She's too trusting for her own good." His words stabbed my heart and I placed a hand over my chest as if that would heal the pain.

"Or maybe you trust too little?" My eyes burned with unshed tears. I hadn't cried in so long. Hansel and Gretel had been the light in my dark life, but it seemed even their small bit of happiness would be snuffed out with the rest.

No response came from Hansel; he refused to meet my eyes. It only crushed me further. "Can you say it to me Hansel? Can you say it?!" My voice was rising, emotions running ramped.

After I was still met with silence, a harsh, humorless laugh escaped me. "The fact that you still can't say that to me says a lot."

"Charlotte-"

"I love you. It's three simple words Hansel. By now it should be easy to say to me. Because I've been here. I've been here...waiting. I just want to hear you say it." His mouth opened and my hopes soared but they quickly fell when it closed again. _One-sided it is then._

He repeated the action again and again until I'd had enough. "If you can't tell me that you love me, I don't see what we're even doing here."

His eyes snapped to mine as I struggled to hold back tears. "Charlotte please-" A few tears filled his eyes as well, but he wouldn't break me, not this time.

"We've been together all these years Hansel. When will you be ready? When will you understand that I'm not going anywhere? I love you but you're hurting me. A girl wants to hear how much she's loved. I can't assume with you because for all I know...you don't love me at all."

The silence again. Swallowed the room up so much I couldn't breathe. "I can't do this Hansel." He tried to step towards me but I held my hands up halting him, letting the tears loose from my eyes. They streamed down my face and I was powerless to stop them.

"I can't! I can't do this." He'd taken several steps to me but I was already at the door. "I love you Hansel even if you don't love me." I whispered those last words just before leaving, closing the door while gasping out sobs, trying to distance myself from the man I loved and the one who broke my heart.


	9. The Heart Always Wins

Witch hunting had become a job for me; the familial mood of our small group had shattered along with any and all communication between me and Hansel.

Still every day I was questioned by Gretel, and every day my simple reply was, "Ask your brother." He must have kept our secret too because she came back to me day after day desperate to know anything. But if he couldn't tell the only person he trusted, the only person he loved, how could I?

I was dejected, sad, hopeless; all inopportune qualities when fighting against witches. I was getting hurt more and more frequently and Hansel gained more and more frown lines, yet he never voiced his aversion of my fighting, something I never thought I'd miss. But I think it was just him I missed, anything and everything about him I longed for but could never have. I wouldn't hurt myself anymore, not even for him. I'd had too much pain in my life as is; I refused to take another ounce of hurt.

I considered leaving too many times to count, but I could never bring myself to go through with it. I couldn't go that far. I loved them, both of them. I would never be able to go, so I guess it makes sense that they would have be the ones to leave me.

A day of killing witches was coming to an end, and I just wanted to go back to the inn. I was tired. I was sad. And I wanted to be alone, away from the person who'd caused me this heartache. Gretel had walked ahead of the two of us, and I'd thought nothing of it. I was in my own world trying to keep my tears at bay and my eyes off of Hansel.

My feet dragged depressingly all the way back to the rooms and straight to the hay-filled bed. I snuggled in, ready to let the tears fall until I heard his familiar voice and froze. "Gretel, what is it?" He sounded agitated and tired, not the voice of the Hansel I was used to, yet it was him all the same and he was getting closer.

"I want you to stop being an idiot." She responded.

I didn't turn to greet them when they entered my room, didn't move a muscle. The atmosphere was cold and silent as I waited anxiously for them to leave. "What are you talking about Gretel?" He huffed out but his voice lacked conviction and I imagined him gazing down at me with his beautiful grey eyes, them turning green as they often did, with his permanently furrowed eyebrows and his cute nose and thin, pink lips...

A quiet sigh left me at the direction of my thoughts, and I willed them to retire to their rooms. I closed my eyes breathing deeply to control my emotions.

_1...Breath._

_2...Breath._

_3...Brea-_

My eyes flew open at a yelp of surprise and I turned to investigate just as Hansel's strong, warm body crashed into mine. Our eyes connected instantly, my own widening, as his hands found my waist stabilizing us both. I faintly heard Gretel call, "Kiss and make up!" before slamming the door, but I was too focused on him. He was too close, too close for me to be trying to ignore my love for him.

I wanted to curl up into him and stay there for eternity, my heart begged me to, but instead my mind screamed at me to push him away, so I did. With my skin burning where we touched, I placed both hands on his chest and shoved; he toppled to the floor. I stared down at him for a minute in hurt and a small bit of guilt. _What just happened?_

The guilt prompted me to move to the edge of the bed, ready to apologize and help him up, but his eyes were staring right at me, destroying the facade I'd built while around him.

Thinking better of it, I climbed over him and made my way to the door. I heard Hansel scramble to his feet calling my name; I ignored him.

I pulled on the door trying to get it open. I could hear Hansel behind me still saying my name, cautiously and quietly as if he'd break me if he didn't handle me with care. For a moment I'd forgotten how Hansel had seen me, as a fragile, weak, little girl. I'd missed being that to him. I'd missed being anything to him at all, even if it was the thing I used to despise the most. It was pathetic. I was pathetic. Pitiful. Miserable.

Giving up on opening the locked door, I leaned my forehead against it letting out a sigh. Hansel didn't love me back. His hopeless romantic of a sister had orchestrated a plan to reunite us because she thought he actually loved me. I was a heartbroken, washed-out witch hunter whose best friend was a red-headed witch, albeit a good one, and I still talked to my dead brother every morning to tell him of the mess that was my life knowing in the back of my mind that he could never hear me.

I felt like crying. I was exhausted trying to hold in the emotion, and sooner or later Hansel would make me break down. Just looking at him was hard enough. There was no way I would last long in this room.

Besides the small space and locked door, he was still softly calling my name. My eyes flooded with tears and I knew once the first one slid down my face that I had lost the battle. I fell to the floor, a heap of brokenness and heartbreak, not caring anymore if Hansel was there to see or not.

He didn't speak, just came over and wrapped his arms around me like I had done to him so very long ago. I stiffened and moved away, unwilling to let him comfort me. After all, he was the reason I was upset.

"Charlotte...Charlotte please talk to me." His sorrow filled voice baited me, tempted my heart; I abstained, crossing the room back to the bed and wrapped my arms around myself as if that would hold my crippled figure together.

His forlorn sigh made me squeeze my eyes shut tightly as I tried to block him out. I couldn't bear the guilt he inspired. I was the one hurting. I was the one in pain. But he was making me feel guilty.

Guilty for loving him when he didn't love me back.

I burrowed further into the bed knowing I would dream of him upon losing consciousness, but just maybe, behind my closed eyelids, he'd return my affections. We sat in silence as I waited, eyes closed, for sleep to take me.

…..

…..

"I love you."

My eyes popped open upon hearing his words and I whirled around to stare at him. And stare. And stare. And finally...stare.

"I love you." He repeated and now I knew it wasn't my imagination. I'd seen him speak. I'd seen the words come out of his mouth. But still it was too hard to accept.

"Don't play with my feelings Hansel." I told him shaking my head sadly. Tears once again threatened to escape from my eyes. "Don't say that to me. Don't say that to me because you don't mean it." I turned away from him covering my face with my hands.

"But I _do_. Charlotte I _do. _I love you."

I shook my head from side to side repeating, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no..."

"Charlotte!" He screamed grabbing ahold of my shoulders to stop my chant. His hands trailed up to my face, leaving scorching fire in their wake. I quieted as our eyes met and he still hadn't let me go.

Instead he wiped the tears from my face. "I do Charlotte. I do love you." His voice was so soft, so gentle and loving. It caressed my burning skin and aching heart so that when he leaned closer, and closer still, I did not pull away, I did not hesitate, but I kissed him back with all the fiery passion I'd held in me for the past months of seeing him and not being able to have him.

He lowered me back down to the bed, hovering over me and I never wanted him to stop. I never wanted to be free of him.

Clothes were flung away. Skin caressed. Lips kissed. Our bodies molded together in desperation from our time spent apart.

Did I forgive him that night?

It's hard to tell. I was too focused on being with him to worry about if his words rang true. Because in that moment he wasn't hurting me, he was giving me everything that I wanted. He was giving me a piece of himself and, for now, that was enough.

So that night Hansel became my first in every way imaginable. My first love and lover. In the back of my mind, I think I knew. I knew he'd hurt me again but as I laid there snuggled so close to him, his body heat surrounding me, it didn't seem to matter. I had him and he'd already had me.

Alas morning came and I awoke, stretching my fingers out reaching for someone that wasn't there. There was no note. No grand gesture. No goodbye before Hansel and Gretel deserted me in a sea of lies and a battered heart.


	10. The Aftermath

**_Part 2: The Aftermath_**

_Yes, you hurt me. Yes, you lied to me. Yes, you left me. Yes, I cared about you. Yes, I cried about you._

_No, I haven't stopped loving you but_ _I'm trying to._

Hours turned into days. Days into weeks. Weeks into months. Months into years. Years I've been without them. It was supposed to get easier. I wasn't supposed to still feel like this and I definitely wasn't supposed to go back.

Threatening clouds swelled in the bleak, grey sky overhead as I rode reluctantly back toward town. The howling wind gathered around me flinging my hair in different directions. Strands licked my face so that I could barely see worsening my already sour mood.

Kain galloped on under me, undisturbed as always. Despite his dark color, he was a light in my dreary, purposeless life. Him and Mina, the one who'd brought me back to this wretched town in the first place. The town that held too many memories. Good ones to remind me of the bad and bad ones to remind me of the worst.

I lowered my head against the chilling breeze and tried to forget, forget his voice that soothed my sorrows, his hands like scorching fire on my skin, his lips that told so many lies. Tried to forget her kindness that brightened up the world, hugs that helped me breathe just a little bit lighter, words that had always comforted me; she was the sister I'd never had and had just as soon lost.

I wished for years that when the siblings crossed my mind the emotions I'd feel would be nothing short of hatred and anger but when I still only felt love for them I gave up trying to control it and resolved to simply not think about them but their presence was permanently ingrained in my mind and it showed no plans of leaving. I didn't like thinking about them, in fact I hated every moment I allowed myself to remember them and love the times we had together but more often than not, our _good_ memories plagued both my dreams and reality.

I pulled out of my thoughts, slowing Kain to a trot as we crossed the threshold into Augsberg. The village was quiet for the most part but I could distinctly hear a commotion emanating from the town square; I steered clear of it. The less people I saw the better. People wouldn't like knowing a witch hunter was in town, they never did. _Unless, of course, when we were done saving their asses._ I rolled my eyes, guiding Kain away towards Mina's small cottage.

We traveled leisurely for a moment before spotting a quivering frame walking alone, arms wound tightly around their middle. Even Kain sped up, curious about this possible threat. The hair is what made me stop, not the bright yellow dress, nor the water dripping from her figure; it was the soaking orange tresses cascading down the woman's back.

"Mina?"

I hopped off my horse quickly and ran to the drenched witch wrapping my cloak around her shivering form. "What happened to you?" I asked concern filling my voice.

She laughed hysterically at the question. "They accused me of being a witch. Ironic, since for once they got it right...the bastards."

She shook her head muttering the last part and shivering again. I wrapped my arms tighter around her, holding her body upright.

Words spewed out of my mouth quickly, desperately wanting to ensure her safety. The safety of my one and only companion. "What did they do? Did they follow you? Are you-?"

Mina patted my hand in reassurance. "It's okay. I'm alright."

It was quiet for a moment as we continued on our way to her house. "Your friends saved my life."

I stopped to give her a confused look though my heart beat faster anticipating her answer. I didn't have friends. There was only Mina, but even as I claimed that, my mind betrayed me: _Hansel and Gretel_. I shook the thought off.

"I don't have any friends besides you..so pray tell what friends do you speak of?"

We reached her small cottage and I busied myself with lighting a fire for her.

"It has been a long time but Hansel and Gretel are still very much your friends."

My body stilled at her words. "What?"

"They're here Charlotte."

I sat, soaking in the information for a moment trying to grasp the fact that they were indeed back. "Did you know they were coming Mina?"

There was a brief pause before she answered honestly, "Yes."

My fists clenched. _She set me up. Can't trust her. Can't trust anyone. _

"And that's why you asked me back?"

"Among other reasons."

They tightened. _Leave. I need to leave. _

I got to my feet brushing my hands off and moving towards the door. She beat me to it, arms wide and blocking my exit.

"You promised me Charlotte."

"You lied to me Mina." _Liars. They're all liars. First Hansel, now Mina._

"I did not." I looked up at her finally, eyes blazing. "Okay, maybe I didn't tell the whole truth…"

I pushed her out of the way and yanked the door open in fury. _They were here which means I couldn't be. I didn't need to be. _

"I was being a good friend, your best friend!" she pointed out.

"My best friend would never do this, not when she knew how much they'd hurt me." I shot her an accusatory glance over my shoulder still stalking back to my horse who stood, mighty and unaffected. _They'd hurt me. They'd left me and now they were back. _

"They might have had an explanation and you would never know it. I know you're dying to know Charlotte no matter how much you deny it." _I don't care. I don't care about them_. _Not_ _anymore. I don't care. I **can't** care. _

I mounted my horse ignoring her, yet she continued. "Besides I called you here for the children, three witch hunters are better than one." _But they're better. They're the professionals. I'm weak. I'm fragile. They don't need me. They've never needed me_.

"I'm not in the mood to hear your '_more is better_' bullshit." I spat at her. Even I was surprised at the harshness in my voice. She took a couple steps back looking up at me clearly hurt by my words. _You've hurt_ _her like they hurt you_. _You're no better. No better. _

I sighed, snapping out of my anxious thoughts. "I'm sorry. I just...can't. I've dreamed of meeting them again but knowing that they're here...it's completely different. It's not a dream anymore. I'm not brave enough to face them. I know I'm not." I shook my head looking down, tears brimming just at the edge of my eyelids.

"You're not alone Charlotte. I _will_ help you. Besides I've missed you and I would hate for you to leave again because of them."

I didn't speak.

"C'mon. We can go find them together. I'll be right there okay? We'll just-"

"No." I declared.

"Charlotte just-"

"NO." Mina's shoulders sagged in defeat and I let out another breath turning Kain back around.

"I _did_ miss you Mina." I glanced back at her but she didn't meet my eyes.

"Just not enough to stay right?" She glared up at me but I couldn't hold her gaze. "See you in another five years Charlotte." She bit out angrily, turning on her heel to stomp back to her house.

I stared after her for only a second, swallowing the guilt, and galloped away.


	11. Not Much of a Reunion

**A/N: Forgive me for the late update. **

I wasn't sure why I was crying. I was finally leaving them behind. Leaving behind the pain and the hurt. The good memories, the bad. The witch hunters who had fucked my life up.

But they weren't the only things I was abandoning. My pride. My answers. My closure. My best friend. The missing children. The mayor.

All these things trailed in my wake as I hightailed it out of town. Maybe Hansel was right. Maybe I am weak. Maybe I am fragile. Because I gave up and that meant they were winning. Again.

My head bowed in shame snuggling closer to Kain in comfort; hands buried deep in his long mane as the tears flowed from my eyes. And with every tear, I felt a little of my soul break, yet I still ran. Towards no one. Away from everyone.

The gunshots snapped me out of it. Any remnants of tears were wiped away, and my body stood ramrod straight. Listening. Watching. Noting. Preparing. Yet still I wasn't ready for it.

The witch came out of nowhere, slamming into me so hard she knocked me to the ground. I landed flat on my back gasping for breath. Her sickly yellow eyes pushed the sadness and shame deep inside of me and rage jumped to the surface.

My eyes narrowed, and I brought my head back smashing it into hers. She fell, hands holding her sore head, scrambled to her feet, and sprinted away.

"Come back here bitch." I growled following close behind her. The trees blurred around me and with each breath of air I grew closer and closer to the witch, tackling her harshly to the forest floor.

Just as soon as her back hit the ground, she had thrown me off. My foot shot out, swinging around so that her body dropped down again. Her wand flew away in the process and I rose to my feet to do more damage.

When I looked though, the hag was already pinned to the ground and I scanned my new ally with impressed interest. Her dark brown eyes stared severely down at the witch without fear, holding more knowledge than their years. Her chestnut-colored hair was pulled back in a no-nonsense, messy french braid and she wore trousers, something frowned upon in this era, but I was almost positive the woman cared nothing about being proper as I witnessed her swing her fist back and connect it to the witch's face.

A smirk found its way to my lips and I sprang into action, fighting alongside the stranger. Fists went flying and were dodged. Feet kicked out and were evaded. We danced this complicated dance for some time until a shot rang out, and I ducked down just narrowly dodging a bullet that instead drove into the tree behind me, exploding the bark around it.

"What the hell?" My head snapped to our second unwelcome guest and I froze.

He was beautiful, sexy as hell, and impossibly attractive. Messy bronze hair cropped short. Thin, pink lips shaped into an angry frown. Stern and serious eyes that seemed to change color every time I blinked. Green. Grey. Hazel. And the most alluring shade of blue I'd ever seen.

He held the gun expertly in his hands standing tall with confidence, shoulders back, head straight, legs spread evenly apart, decked out in all leather despite the sun beating down on us through the trees.

He didn't spare me a glance just stared straight at the witch, but for some reason I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He reminded me of Hansel, but there was something stronger pulling me toward this stranger than I'd ever felt with _him. _

This was not a mere boy; he was a man, who knew what he wanted and how to get.

I quaked in my boots, stunned by his presence and I wanted to move, this was after all a fight, but I was attracted by his sensuality like a bee to honey. I was screwed and distracted in the middle of the battle.

The witch used the chance I gave her, snaking her arm around my neck and squeezing tight. I reluctantly turned my attention back to combat, feeling her ghastly breath on my neck as her mouth stretched into an evil smile. "Wouldn't want to hurt the dear girl now would you?" She taunted to the two who had paused in their pursuit, pulling on my neck for extra measure. "Drop the guns."

To my surprise, both lifted their hands in surrender without hesitation, bending down slowly to do as she said. I scowled.

"You must not know who I am witch." I struggled out holding tight to her arm. "I'm no one's prisoner." I threw myself backwards landing hard on top of her. Once I'd caught my breath, I sent an elbow towards her face and dived away.

I stood to my feet with power and added, "Not anymore."

The witch got to her feet a few moments after and we turned to face each other, both snarling. Black blood was streaming out of her nose and I smiled cheekily at my work. The others flanked my sides, weapons trained steadily on their threat.

Her eyes flashed back and forth between the three of us calculatingly. _Should I go or should I stay, _they seemed to say. Her answer was obvious when she spun on her heel and made a dash for it.

And just as I prepared to chase after her...

"Gretel!" The world around me stopped at the name; my heart beating triple time in my chest and my feet finding it hard to move.

I watched detached as the girl shot the runaway witch straight through the ankle. She was strung up in the tree flailing about in anger; my enemies laughed. They laughed while I was in turmoil. My eyes filled with water even after I told myself long ago that I wouldn't shed another tear for Hansel and Gretel.

I was in front of them without realizing how I'd gotten there, standing precariously close to the witch unfocused with tears in my eyes. I stared at them shouting hateful words in my mind but not even a squeak escaped my mouth.

Hansel noticed first. Funny because he never seemed to notice most things when we were together. "What's wrong with you?"

"Gretel…" my voice cracked. "You called her Gretel." I'd been fighting with them without even realizing how natural it'd felt. And how much I'd missed it.

His face screwed up in confusion and he shared a look with his sister. "Yeah...? That's her name."

I looked to Gretel seeing the supposed stranger through new eyes. This was that little girl that I talked hours with, dreaming up stories of make-believe parents that loved us and would have never thrown us away. Fantasizing about a beautiful mother and protective father. Planning my wedding with her brother as groom and her as my only bridesmaid. Playing princess and visualizing ourselves in elegant ball gowns.

That Gretel was no more. That little girl was gone and a woman stood in her place. I'd missed the transformation she'd undergone where the innocence had disappeared and the maturity had set in. Where she turned men's heads and gained women's scorn. I wasn't there to teach her, to guide her, to witness it. I'd missed my little sister growing up.

I turned away struggling to keep it together though I knew that just looking at them was tearing me apart. The tears were already flooding my cheeks. "And you're...You're Hansel?"

Hurt drowned my words but he didn't understand. After all this time, he still didn't understand. "Ah, I see. You're a fan."

A sob rose from my belly, and he rolled his eyes like I was inconveniencing him. Like this was ruining his entire day. _Well I'm sorry Hansel. I'm sorry we ever had to meet again._

I clutched my fist to my chest to alleviate the pain. _Did he not care? Did he not care that he was turning my world upside down again? _

"Listen, I know you must love us and all but you really can't go out getting in fights with witches like this. It's dangerous and quite frankly we don't need the help. We're professionals. So you should run on home. We've got it from here."

Gretel slapped her brother's arm scolding him. She whispered hoping to spare my feelings, but I heard her loud and clear and wondered why she even cared because she'd hurt me just as much as her brother. But not more. No one could ever hurt me as much as Hansel had. "Don't be so rude, Hansel. She's crying."

"So?" His voice was so harsh and I told myself I should hate him, tell him off, leave, do anything, but the memories of us flashed before my eyes and I could do nothing but stare and cry. I felt stupid and I guess I was for letting him hurt me again.

Hansel was still my weakness as he had always been. He'd stabbed my heart over and over again, and no matter the amount of bandages and time I gave them to heal, the scars still stayed and they burned like hell. But no matter how much pain he put me through, it would always be him. Hansel was it for me, and I think that was the worse part.

"Watch out!" Gretel's warning didn't register through my thoughts, and it wouldn't have mattered anyway. The witch was already barreling towards me and I'd sunk to the floor consumed by darkness with Hansel's "Son of a bitch!" resounding in my wake.


	12. I: Feeling Again

_You keep your eyes closed to block out the hardships, the pain, the unwanted but in that; the true beauty of the world is lost because you refuse to open your eyes._

Behind my closed eyelids, my heart beat for Hansel, for the love we had lost. I saw the beautiful memories that rushed back to me, the glorious times we spent together, all three of us...as a family.

And then I opened my eyes and reality set in and it was very different from my dreams.

After enduring Gretel's pity and Hansel's insults. After dropping lifelessly to the floor. After dreaming of them so vividly behind my eyes. I awoke and they still didn't give a damn.

The two had dropped me off to the nearest doctor, who just so happened to be a 70-year old, balding, _lonely _man who wouldn't keep his hands to himself and was probably still laying on his ass where I'd left him a few hours earlier.

My head had been throbbing inside of my skull and my heart crumbled inside my chest.

They'd left me, casted me off without regard, hadn't remembered, hadn't cared.

And I couldn't leave. The sky was dark when I walked outside, moon shining down on me mockingly, torches shining outside houses, streets depressingly deserted.

I was stuck in Augsberg until morning, an unfavorable fate, that led me here. To the local tavern. To push the pain away.

I knew I was stalling, sitting at the bar and knocking back as many drinks as I could. I would have to face Mina eventually, and she was not going to be happy, or maybe she would; I'd ended up confronting my "good friends" after all, though it certainly didn't go as planned.

I massaged my sore head signaling for another drink as I thought about them again. I'd been thinking about nothing else for the last hours; it was a sad but true fact. Every time I closed my eyes I saw their faces, smiling haughtily at me in victory.

I sighed, eyes scanning the darkly lit room, watching every patron with sloppy movements that matched my own.

Girls lifted up their skirts in hopes of getting a free drink. Men ogled with foaming mouths and overactive imaginations. Friends laughed and toasted drinks in merriment.

People drank, indulged, enjoyed.

And a Casanova sat next to me working his way into a brunette's heart with a dazzling smile and a fanciful fairytale.

My eyes focused, zooming in on his shining, hazel eyes and my head cleared just enough for me to remember who he was.

There was no doubt in my mind now that this was Hansel. He was older. He was wiser. But he was still handsome, still confident, still sexy, still courageous, still idiotically him.

He was chatting with a curly-haired, full- figured woman whose face I couldn't see as her back was facing me but who I bet was extraordinarily beautiful. This was Hansel after all; he settled for nothing less.

I should've walked away then, when he began to paint himself as the hero of our story. When he conveniently left out a huge chunk of important _details_ like how he strung along the _help,_ letting her have a taste of family before ripping it away.

I glared for longer than necessary letting my emotions build up inside of me as I ordered drink after drink.

_Jealousy _because his attentions were focused solely on another, someone who wasn't me.

Betrayal because he had moved on while I still walked in a circle, never moving, heart always returning to him.

And now I felt _disgust _for a touch brought me away from Hansel and the man responsible leered suggestively at me, his hand lowering down my back making me grit my teeth in aggravation. "You look like you might need a doctor dearie. I'd be happy to oblige you."

I swallowed another cup of ale without a word. In seconds, his head was pinned down to the bar, arm twisted painfully behind him as he struggled against me but even with the alcohol in my system and drums still beating away in my head, I was much too strong for him.

Plus. I was a woman scorned.

"You try that again, I cut off your hand, understand?" My voice was low and gruff so that only he could hear and he nodded quickly in agreement pleading for me to let him go.

I gave him one last condescending pat on the head. "Good boy."

I released him and he jolted away from me angrily straightening his clothes. "Bitch," he muttered as he turned to walk away. As if I wouldn't hear him. As if there would be no retaliation.

My fist flew out of it's own accord but missed it's target. Hitting another one instead, who I could say was just as equally deserving.

The brunette was gone, yet the glorious Hansel still stood in place, currently clutching his jaw and moaning in pain after the rough punch I'd landed on his face. My mouth fell open in disbelief before shutting to hide a laugh.

It took him a short time to realize his attacker and though he sent me a harsh glare, goosebumps sprung up on my skin and a warmth erupted in my heart.

"You!" he proclaimed in outrage. I shot him a drunken smile, holding my hands up in surrender.

"I would apologize but...that felt just too damn good and I'm afraid the apology wouldn't be genuine." A smirk fell on my lips as I spoke to him in a hushed voice, "And I'm pretty sure you deserved it. Wouldn't you say?" The ale was making me bold, and I reached for another drink gulping it down to give me the strength to hit him again.

His head snapped the opposite way this time, and he turned back looking even more irate. And Rightfully so. I could see the discoloration already and a part of my hurt pride smiled brightly for sweet, _sweet _revenge.

I tried to swing again but he ducked out of the way and I flew to the side with the force of my punch. The drinks combined with my head were getting to me already and I fought to keep myself standing.

Hansel caught me in his arms, and I wanted to push him off but was too tired. He however held back no complaints. "Crazy wench... Save you even after you hit me... I'm too damn nice."

I shook my head, slurring my words. "You're not nice Hansel. You're not nice at all."

My knees buckled at the emotion behind my words; but, Hansel held me upright, lifting my feet from the ground shortly after. He began to move towards his table, cradling me like a baby. I shivered in his hold because despite the layers of clothes I could still feel him as if he was touching my bare skin and it felt deliciously good.

I sighed in content, snuggling up close to him as he mumbled angrily away yet he couldn't hide the rigidity of his movements; I could feel the stiffness in his muscles and it was driving me slowly insane.

My anger was gone but other feelings came rushing in, just as prominent.

Happiness, nostalgia, love, and desire.


	13. II: Feeling Again

Gretel was surprised to see me, if her wide eyes and slacked jaw was anything to go by. But then, as she scanned my small figure hanging in her brother's arms, an angry expression settled on her face.

For a moment, I thought it was because of me, because she didn't want me here. However when she spoke, her voice, though angry, wasn't directed at little old Charlotte.

"What the hell happened to her Hansel?" she whispered vehemently. "She looks drunk out of her mind and I can still see the blood on her head. Did that Doctor do nothing for her?"

She fussed over me with a concern that surprised me and I just stared, slightly suspicious and flattered by the attention.

And though I knew the question wasn't directed at my person, I felt the need to answer. To tell them what he'd done to me and what I'd done in return. I wasn't that scared little girl anymore. I was a strong woman capable of handling herself and I was determined for them to know that...even as I snuggled deeper into Hansel's arms.

"He tried to do a lot of things for me or well…for him I guess...but I wasn't having it." I smiled proudly. "I laid him right on his perverted ass!"

The two stared at me trying to translate the drunken garble. Hansel got it first, and his whole body stopped moving, lungs stopped breathing. He wouldn't look at me but I heard his question when he asked, "He tried to touch you?"

"He tried to do more than that." I frowned thinking back to the highly unpleasant man.

His face darkened with a scowl and I moved to comfort him. "It's okay though." I touched a hand to his cheek, patting it softly to soothe him. "I didn't let him do anything. It's okay."

He nodded his head once and gently removed my hand but didn't release it. The warmth that powered through me from his touch was familiar though long forgotten and I reveled in that semblance of intimacy between us.

Gretel cleared her throat awkwardly despite the knowing smirk that had sprouted on her lips and spoke, "We have to see her home."

"Yeah? Why didn't I think of that?" Hansel's sarcasm was an endearment I'd missed. "Where the hell is her home?"

"Well I don't know Hansel, have you even asked her?"

"She's piss-ass drunk Gretel you think she'll remember...?"

I interrupted their bickering to speak to the familiar face sat across the table whose mouth still hung agape either at my position in Hansel's arms or that Hansel seemed to care about a lonely little woman like me.

"Hello Jackson." I wiggled my fingers at him in greeting. "How are you?"

He gave me a kind smile fixing his composure, but I could still see his surprise. His wide eyes blinked then blinked again before he responded. "Fine...fine. How are you?"

"Perfectly fine," I announced drunkenly, throwing my arms around Hansel's neck and snuggling in close. My nose brushed the skin at his neck and he shivered in response. I smiled at his reaction placing a kiss there next.

That, though, was too far for him. He pushed me back harshly, glaring at me without reserve. My smile dropped just as soon as it appeared. "Don't do that," he commanded so that only I could hear. His tone was so serious I felt obliged to obey. I slumped in his arms feeling sad and put down. Despite my lasting hopes, Hansel still hadn't changed. He was cold and emotionless. And sour and bitter. And he didn't want me.

Yet even when I moved to get out of his arms, feeling my anger rise, and self esteem plummet, wanting to get as far as I could from this man, this harsh, cold man, Hansel's arms tightened around my figure refusing to let me go. I glared at the side of his face, as he wouldn't turn to look at me, knowing he sensed my stare but he didn't move nor did he release his hold. Instead, he brought his cup to his lips and drank.

Gretel piped up again. "Jackson probably knows where she lives, don't you Jackson?"

"Well yes…" The man answered scratching his head in thought. "But not quite."

"Great." Hansel mumbled pinching his nose between his fingers in frustration. I wanted to comfort him, against my better judgement, but the hurt was still there.

I listened to the conversation instead trying to touch Hansel as little as possible. An impossible feat when I was sat atop his lap, him surrounding me.

"Whenever she visits, she always stays with the strange, redhead woman that lives at the edge of town. I can take you there if you would like."

"That would be nice. Thank you Jackson." She looked to her brother. "Wouldn't that be nice Hansel?"

"Yeah whatever. Let's go." He stood to his feet after taking a long gulp of his drink but didn't even get two steps before he was stopped by a fan. A very young, bubbly fan.

"Excuse me. Hansel and Gretel? Oh my God, I can't believe you're here. I'm Ben. Benjamin Walser. I am really quite a fan of your work."

Hansel frowned. "Yeah. Yeah. That's great kid."

Still in her seat, Gretel greeted, "Nice to meet you Benjamin."

"Listen if it's not too much trouble would you please sign..." The heavy bound book dropped onto the table with a loud thud and Gretel eagerly grabbed at it; Hansel let out a heavy sigh and plopped back down into a seat pulling me onto his lap, my head in the crook of his neck.

This time he made no objections.

"Wow." Gretel was saying in amazement, flipping through the pages with impressed eyes.

"Yeah, that's from when you found the Fox Witch of Antwerp and sank her in the moat...and this one's from the Secret Witch Ring of Belsen. When they tried to put a gate to hell under the courthouse….I mean, you guys certainly taught those witches a thing or two." He laughed nervously at his own joke and Gretel shot him a polite smile.

Her gaze turned back to the many papers strewn in front of her. "This is amazing…...and slightly weird"

"A little creepy." Hansel agreed. I nodded my head in assent.

Bashful Ben blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah…"

"All right Ben, is it?" Hansel interrupted closing the book. Gretel protested but he ignored her. "We really-"

Ben persisted despite his shaking hands and quaking voice. "I just have so many questions. Do you mind?"

Hansel shook his hand, ready to refuse once again. "We kind of-"

Gretel cut off her brother's excuse. "Not at all." He glared daggers at her yet her eyes stayed focused intently on Ben's.

He smiled in appreciation and continued. "How do you best kill a witch?"

"Hansel? You got this one?"

"Cutting off their heads tends to work. Ripping out their hearts… Skinning them is also nice." He stared pointedly at his sister.

"But burning…" She interjected. "Is the best way."

Hansel grumbled under his breath, most likely an insult to his sister, and took another swallow of his ale.

I was too busy watching Gretel to focus on his words. She giggled again at Benjamin Walser, making me smile; something was happening there.

"Is it true that witches can't harm you?"

Hansel leaned forward glowering, the alcohol was getting to him and he wasn't a happy drunk. "Oh well that's just horseshit. Where'd you hear that?"

"Their magic," Gretel cut in trying her best to ignore him, "Doesn't work on us, and they haven't killed us. Yet."

"Do you think that's because of the witch that you burned when you were children? Is that how you became witch hunters? How did you get your guns? Your other weapons?..."

His questions seemed like they could go on for centuries yet no one was making any move to stop him. Gretel stared amusedly seemingly smitten with the chattering fool, and Hansel was drowning himself in his drink, getting a little more friendly with touching me if his hand moving up and down my thigh was any indication, and I fell into space, getting more drowsy as time went on.

Until he asked that one forbidden question.

"What about the other one? What ever happened to her?"

This last question caught both me and Hansel's attention and for the first time that night, Hansel sat me down on my feet.

He clutched the stuttering boy's collar in his hand while his other held me tight to his side. "Who told you? How do you fucking know that?"

Ben trembled in his boots, cautiously leaning away from the older man. "There were-there were th-three of you...in the...in the beginning." His adam's apple bobbed as he gulped trying to release himself from Hansel's strong grip.

In the end, Gretel was the one to do that. She pulled Ben back, brushing off his clothes and apologizing profusely. She glared menacingly at her brother who didn't care in the slightest. His skin still boiled from the question and I wondered why it bothered him so much that someone remembered me. Would it hurt so much if one other person knew the legacy of Charlotte, the Witch Hunter?

Both my and Ben's questions went unanswered when a commotion came through the bar's doors. He came in stumbling, breath heaving, sweat dripping, with red rimmed eyes and a frothing mouth. "She killed them...she killed them all." His haunted eyes pierced the patrons one by one.

Hansel's arm tightened around me.

Gretel was the first to react, all business

when she said, "Who killed what?" Her arms crossed in front of her challengingly; Ben had stepped to the side with awe filled eyes.

"The witch." He declared; loud gasps sounded all over the room. "She killed the trackers. All of them! She gave me a message. For you all." He could barely get the words out with the gurgling in his throat. He coughed and sputtered and choked and then I realized what was going to happen before it did. And apparently so did Hansel.

He turned his body just in the nick of time as the blasted body sprayed over the entire tavern, hitting everyone in sight. Gasps of disgust and screams of fright were heard; I paid no attention however.

Hansel held me tighter for which I was grateful and whispered softly, "Are you okay?" I forgot for a second who he was and what he did, feeling so much love for him in that moment, I couldn't breathe. My arms came around him. without even thinking about it, without concern for whatever slimy substance coated my hands as they snaked behind his back. Just wanting to hug him so tight I never had to let go.

"The curse of hunger for crawling things." Gretel complained pulling me away from Hansel. She flicked her hand towards the ground in disgust. "I fucking hate that one."

"Yeah," Hansel spoke, jolting away from me in realization. He shook his head. "Me too." It was awkward as Gretel looked between us trying to decide why her brother had finally stopped touching me.

Because I was disgusting and ugly and undeserving of love. Because I would never be what he wanted. Because he was Hansel and I was Charlotte and we just didn't mesh well together.

Whatever the reason, whatever the excuse, my heart was breaking again. Another time.

And it was worse than the last.


	14. III: Feeling Again

"I can't catch a fucking break." Hansel as we finally made our way out of the bar. It had been an exciting hour since he'd rescued me from my fall filled with gushing fans and exploding persons, yet, like Hansel, I was eager to get home.

Unlike him however, I wasn't covered in blood and guts, as he had shielded me from the aforementioned substances, and I didn't have to escort home a stranger.

"Remind me why we're helping this girl again." He looked down on me in disgust. The gesture hurt but I was too drowsy to care. I stuck a single finger in the air in response.

Gretel chuckled at my action and I giggled along with her, sticking my tongue out at Hansel for extra measure.

His sister scoffed when she saw his glare. "I don't know why you're acting like you don't like her. I haven't seen you look like that at anyone in years. Not since Charlotte."

"We don't talk about her Gretel." He growled snapping his head away from me to glare at his sister.

"Well maybe we should." She grumbled. "You're still in love with her even after she left us. You need to let her go."

_She left us._

_**She** left **us**._

"Shut up Gretel."

"No-"

"Gretel! Just...shut up." He ordered tiredly.

She was quiet again, but only for a moment. "You realize you haven't put her down since you came back from the bar. You're holding her so tight I'm surprised she can even breath…."

"Gretel..." He warned.

She held her hands up in surrender. "Just saying."

Silence surrounded us the rest of the ride home; the soothing sway of the horse and Hansel's strong body allowed me to slip off to dreamland easily.

Their conversation was one I thought I should remember but my drunken mind couldn't take that overload of information so I let myself relax.

I wish I could've seen them off. I wish I could've remembered what he'd done to me. I wish I would've been so angry that I wouldn't have let them leave without saying what I needed to say so desperately.

_I loved you. But now I hate you._

It was a lie, I could admit that to myself because I did so pathetically miss them but they didn't know that and I'd hoped my proclamation would hurt them as much as their leaving had hurt me.


	15. Back to Start

Dedicated to **JennAizawa** and all you beautiful people who continue to follow _Long_ _Time_ even though I take too long to update. :) Love you all!

The blinding light that greeted me in the morning was unpleasant for the most part yet Mina's angry face proved to be so much more worse.

"What the fuck Charlotte?" She growled. I sat up quickly to face her because she looked about to kill me. It was too fast for my hungover state and I swayed slightly hoping to incur even a small amount of pity.

Seems that was too much to ask.

"You've had more than enough time to sleep off your foolishness." She rolled her eyes at my pain and I frowned.

"You could be a little understanding." I muttered wanting her to just be quiet already.

"And you could be a little less fucking stupid! What were you thinking getting drunk like that? Do you know what could have happened?"

I clutched my head and held a hand out at her. "Stop yelling. You're not my mother and I wasn't thinking; it just happened. Yesterday was just not a good day for me. I saw the people I was trying to avoid, got my head bashed in by an ugly ass witch and then woke up with a bald headed man trying to stick his hand down my shirt so don't sit here and lecture me about the evils of drinking 'cause I don't want to fucking hear it."

I closed my eyes after my rant, clutching my sore head in my hands. I reveled the silence that followed until she handed me a wooden bowl and said, "Drink."

I mumbled a "thank you" and obeyed, cherishing the sweet taste. The headache was already leaving me and I was thankful, as I was so many times, for having a best friend who was a witch.

She took a seat next to me when I had finished, just holding the empty dish in my hand now. "Tell me what happened Charlotte."

"I saw them, Hansel and Gretel, helped them with a witch like old times. And then when she hit me on the head, they dropped me off at that pervert's house and left. They just left."

"I woke up, kicked his ass, and went to the tavern and who do I find but Hansel and Gretel. They were there and I saw them and I got drunk and...oh God! They brought me home last night. He brought me home! He was carrying me Mina!" My voice was rising just as well as my anxiety and I paced the small space running my fingers through my hair in frustration.

I fell back into the bed, head in hands, so close to crying and hating myself for it.

"They didn't even recognize me. Can you believe they could forgot after all we've been through?" I was talking to myself more than I was her now and I think she understood as she sat silently beside me, rubbing my back in comfort.

"It's truly unbelievable." She spoke because she thought that was what I wanted to hear, what I believed myself.

It wasn't.

"It's not really if you think about it." I scoffed. "Everyone forgets about me eventually, including them...especially them." I stood brushing myself off as if I wasn't breaking down inside and pulled back the curtain of my enclosed bedroom.

Startling hazel eyes invaded my senses. "I never forgot you Charlotte." He breathed. "Never."

I was speechless, the breath had been knocked out of me most literally and I stepped back into Mina in shock. "Wha-what...what's….?" She helpfully pushed me forward a couple of paces, but I still couldn't move. What was he doing here?

"Hansel and Gretel stayed to be sure you were okay. Isn't that nice Charlotte?"

I turned to Mina staring at her as I processed the information. Then I shook my head. "No. No it's not nice. I want them to leave." I turned back to the intruders and did my best to scowl though I probably only looked like the sad pathetic girl they had known. "I want you to leave."

"Charlotte-"

"No. NO! I can't talk to you. I refuse to talk to you."

"Charlotte please-"

"Listen Hansel-"

"No you listen you backstabbing bitch!" It was the first words Gretel had spoken to me and it made me want to fall to my knees in sorrow. My eyes must have given me away for her expression softened yet just as fast turned hard again.

Mina came immediately to my defense, wrapping an arm around me. "Hey! Don't speak to her that way!"

Gretel turned her wrath on my best friend. "I can speak to her however I want. You don't know what she's done to us." Her voice was scathing, burning at my already bruised soul.

"What she's done to you?!" Mina bellowed loudly and angrily. I was angry too but it couldn't seem to get past the hurt I was feeling that Gretel of all people was causing.

Hansel ended all the arguing. "That's enough Gretel. That's enough." I looked at him, really looked at him, to his regretful eyes and tired expression, and suddenly all of the pieces fell into place.

"What did you tell your sister you sick son of a bitch?" I growled tears stinging my eyes. His eyes flashed to me. Guilt. The guilt that ate away at me for years because I thought I had done something wrong.

"Don't talk to my brother like that, you whore!" Gretel lunged for me but her brother held her back.

"What lies has he been feeding you?! What have you told her you twisted bastard! What?!" I struggled against Mina now because I wanted so desperately to strangle him. He took away the only family I had left.

"It wasn't enough for you to lie to me. Sleep with me. Tell me you loved me. It wasn't enough was it?! You had to take away the only other person I loved, the only other person I cared about and who cared about me. You sick, evil witch!"

His face paled at my insult and I turned away, wiping the tears from my face.

I was angry. So very angry at myself, at them, at cruel, cruel fate.

I stepped back into the make-shift room, gathering clothing and snatching up the rest of my belongings. Mina was right by my side as always but right now I was angry at everyone and everything, including her. "Do you understand now? Do you get why I avoided them?"

She remained silent, as did Gretel, and I think she understood. I couldn't say the same for Hansel.

"You're not going anywhere. You're not in the right condition to go fucking around in the woods and you won't make it out before dark."

He stepped forward to face me. "You're not leaving." His stance was firm. His eyes were fire. His words were law.

Well I guess I was a rebel.

I moved to stand right in front of him, eyes narrowed daringly. "Watch. Me." I shouldered past him then, stomping right out of the cabin and to my horse who stood obediently and valiantly waiting for his master.

Yet right before I hopped atop my steed, Hansel grabbed for me. My sobriety forced me to acknowledge the effect he still had on me and accept the damage his touch would cause later.

The anger that had clouded his face slowly dissipated as he watched me and I tried so hard to hold onto my own emotions, remember the past and use it to push him away.

"Charlotte…" He exhaled, breath whispering against my lips. His hand came up to rest on my cheek as he smoothed his thumb across it. His eyes scanned my face, resting on everything except my eyes until finally his hazel beauties met my muddy ones. The air ran out of my lungs and my heart stopped beating yet the moment felt blissful. It shouldn't have.

I pushed him away, gentler than I intended to, and turned back to Kain only for his arms to plant themselves around my waist and pull me back against him.

His lips found my ear skimming across the skin there while his burning hands rested low on my stomach. "You're not leaving Charlotte. I won't let you leave baby."

I stilled at the endearment. He'd never called me one before believing them childish, pointless, yet he'd just called me baby. His baby.

"You can't do that. That's not playing fair." His heat turned me into puddy, his hands were moving now, caressing over my stomach to my chest then neck where he followed his touch with a teasing stroke of his lips. "Hansel…"

"C'mon Charlotte baby. Let's go inside and talk about this."

My neck stretched to give him more access to my neck when his lips landed there again. Then another. Then his warm tongue flicked across it and I lost my head.

"No…" I moaned out. "No Hansel." I pounced away from him, wrapping my arms around myself.

He moved towards me but I held a hand out, hoping he'd listen just this once.

And then he tried to speak, still trying to get me to see his way, the right way, Hansel's way.

He thought he still had a say. The ever dominating Hansel, always in control.

"Shut up Hansel! Just shut up! I don't want to stay in this fucking town if I have to see your face another fucking time. I fucking hate you. I hate you for coming back and now that I'm leaving you want to try and stop me? Well you don't get to decide that. You made your decision a long time ago."

"And you don't get to touch me!" I added shaking and pointing a finger at him. "Not ever! That was another thing you lost a long time ago." I spun around, having said what I wanted to; this time, I didn't even get a step before his words made me pause.

"The Blood Moon."

I stopped. "What?"

"It's the Blood Moon. They're taking children. Lots of them because they have something big planned. I don't know how bad it's going to be yet but I know if the witches get their way, it's going to mean a lot of dead bodies and a lot of angry villagers."

"I'm sure you and Gretel can handle it."

"I don't think we can. There's gonna be a hell of a lot more witches than witch hunters to handle them. We need you Charlotte. I need you."

And because Hansel was such a manipulative son of a bitch, my mind was racing as I patted Kain's belly, imagining the many faces of the villagers, dead, killed by the one thing on earth I hated with all my heart.

I saw Mina and Gretel and Hansel, blood spewing out of his open mouth, mouthing 'help' so desperately at me. Because he needed me.

Yet I had just walked away. Had done nothing.

So because Hansel was such a manipulative son of a bitch, I found myself walking right back towards Mina's cabin ready to take down the new evil that'd risen in Augsberg. Again.

**A/N: Surprise! Two updates in one day to** **make up for the** **short one! Hope you liked it! **


	16. Revelation

We had the band back together but it was in no way like it used to be. Gretel barely said a word while the previously emotionless Hansel refused to shut up. She was deadly serious while he was overly playful. They weren't the same people I had known, so I didn't know what to do with them, how to act.

My plan was distance. I stayed as far away from Hansel as I could lest I be tempted to do something I ought not to. And as Gretel didn't say much, it wasn't hard to do the same with her. No one but Hansel spoke of our past and I wondered if he wanted the old me back; it seemed he liked her more.

Gretel and I spoke only of business: setting a plan, making arrangements, and gathering supplies to conquer the biggest witch threat we'd ever had to overcome. Together.

I looked across the square at Hansel just as Mina approached him, all smiles. My eyes narrowed suspiciously at the two as they spoke, sharing polite words and gestures. I wanted to move closer yet at the same time knew it should be of no importance to me whether she was interested in Hansel.

So this feeling shouldn't be flaring in my chest and my hands shouldn't be curling into tight, angry fists.

I shouldn't want to be in her place.

Mina's fiery red hair and even sassier personality had always been a cause of attraction from the men in town (before she'd been accused of witchcraft of course), and I hadn't much cared until the man that had his eyes on her was the one I wanted.

Used to want, my mind corrected.

I turned away from them yet could only bear to have my eyes off of them for so long and that was all it took for Hansel to almost go crashing to the ground. His knees had buckled underneath him and he struggled to steady himself.

He needed me and I rushed to answer the call without delay.

When I reached the two, Mina was hovering over his figure asking after his health; I unceremoniously shoved her out of the way, snatched the needle from Hansel's shaking hand, and stabbed it into his thigh.

I flung the thing away from me when it was done, taking his face in my hands as I'd done so many times before. It felt too familiar yet so very different: more sensual, more intimate, just more.

"Breathe." I commanded. "Breathe."

He gasped for air, placing his large, warm hands over my own. I breathed along with him until I was sure he was fine. He was but also too close. Our foreheads touched, his air became mine and mine was his, our lips were but a breadth apart and I glanced down at his too many times to admit.

Mina was the one to break the moment and if left alone I doubt either one of us would have.

I didn't want to dwell on why that was.

"Are you alright now Hansel?" The tenderness in her voice made me shoot away from him and I stood up quickly to walk away.

"I'm fine." He muttered distractedly; I could feel his eyes on my figure as I walked further into the market to sulk and wait.

My back leaned against one of the buildings out of sight of Hansel and Mina, and I banged my head against the stone scolding myself without ever actually saying the words.

Nothing had happened between me and him. Nothing at all. But I shouldn't have rushed over there; Hansel could take care of himself without me.

I opened my eyes slowly in exasperation and they landed on the boy from the bar. Ben I think. He was a few feet away, glancing around carefully before one of his hands shot out, snatching up a bottle of milk and he took off running, right in my direction.

I saw him coming. I was going to try to talk to him, maybe even tease him a little, for I had no qualms with stealing, I'd done it many a times but he shouldn't be and I meant to tell him just that until he rammed straight into me sending us both barreling to the ground with an 'oof.'

He looked up, eyes widening at the sight of me, and before 'sorry' could even come out of his mouth, he was being pushed off of me and I was being hauled to my feet.

Hansel shoved the boy back and away from me. Eyes scanning over my body, he repeated, "Are you okay? Are you alright?"

I slapped his hands away from my person, taking a step back to brush the dirt off myself. I didn't need his help. "I'm fine Hansel." I pushed him to the side to see if Ben was okay. Having been roughed up by a man you idolized two days in a row could not be healthy.

"Are you okay?" I asked him and he shot me a sheepish smile finally getting his apology out. I nodded in acknowledgement but couldn't help myself by saying, "You shouldn't steal." His eyes widened at the fact of his being caught but I only gave him a smirk in return.

When he nodded grudgingly at my advice I turned back to Hansel who stood uncomfortingly close to Mina. I had to keep myself from pushing them apart and I directed my glare at Hansel instead of the both of them. "Did you get everything?"

"Yes. We-"

"Then let's go." I commanded shouldering past his body leaving him no choice but to follow behind me.

"Farewell Hansel." Mina called after us.

My frown deepened.

I didn't slow to wait for him to catch up nor was I planning on it. "Could you wait?" He huffed irritatingly; this was the Hansel I was accustomed to. "You don't have to go so damn fast!" And the one I could deal with.

I skidded to a stop twisting on my heel so that he almost ran straight into me. He stepped back staring at me with both frustration and confusion. I cut him off before he could say anything else, growling, "And why not? Children are being taken, maybe even killed. I would say there's no time to waste in finding them, that I should be going as fast as I possibly can. But by all means Hansel go back to the market and have petty, meaningless conversations with my best friend. I can handle a few witches as I've done for years, without you."

I turned again, stalking off to the place we'd agreed to set the trap. Hansel matched my pace easily and when he spoke again there was a teasing tone in his voice. "Careful Charlotte baby, your green is showing." He let out an amused, baritone chuckle and my cheeks warmed as did the rest of my body at the pleasing sound. "But you never did like me keeping the company of a woman. I remember that very well."

I scoffed obnoxiously, "Yet you don't remember my face?"

His face dropped but for a moment. "I guess your jealousy was much more memorable than your beauty, huh?" He joked again, smiling brightly.

My hands curled into fists at my sides. He couldn't tease me like this. He couldn't talk to me like this so freely like he'd never done anything wrong. This isn't how this was supposed to go. "You didn't seem to have a problem with my beauty back then." I snapped at him continuing on my way.

"Oh well I was a boy then. I didn't know yet what a woman was, so I settled for you."

My fist shot out towards his face, but he saw it coming and with a pleased smile he dodged backwards, catching my body and dipping me in his arms. He stared down at me laughingly and I returned his look with a scowl. "I don't remember you being this violent."

"I don't remember you being this childish." I spat wiggling to get out of his arms.

"Well things change. People can change." He smoothed a piece of my hair back from my face, yet I turned away from him.

"Don't touch me. You don't get to fucking touch me. I told you this."

"Charlotte-"

"Let me go." I demanded; my eyes were firm though watered down with tears.

"No." He declared, wiping my tears away softly. Hansel searched my eyes and said sincerely with so much conviction, "I'm not letting you go ever again."


	17. The Same

"Well well well, can you two still not keep your hands off one another?" A voice interceded, giving me no time at all to think about what Hansel had just declared to me. Not that I wanted to think about it. It sounded nice, sure, just like a man-eating plant looked pretty.

I looked up to Gretel's smirking face, surprised by her teasing, yet she just stared on, not at me particularly, but at the blinding smile on her brother's face.

"She's too irresistible." He crooned gazing down at me so intensely I had to look away. Hansel was acting strange. He was saying things he wasn't meant to be saying, doing things he wasn't meant to be doing (like touching me), even looked like he was thinking things he ought not to.

This wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to act like this, like he wanted me, like he wanted to continue where we left off.

Because He'd left. He'd lied. He'd ended it.

He was the enemy.

I hated him. I did. Yet when his eyes, those beautiful hazel-green eyes, stared down at me like he used to, like he'd missed his lover, his friend, like he'd never left, like he'd never hurt me…

I swallowed, sure my whole face and neck was beyond red by now, and looked back to his sister trying to keep him as far away as I could.

Gretel let out a thoughtful hum at his words, and then her eyes locked on me. They were still, emotionless; I couldn't tell what she was thinking but I knew she was thinking something. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Perhaps she saw the hurt and confusion in my expression or maybe she just wanted to get along with the plan Hansel was so steadfastly holding up. Either way I was thankful when she reached out and yanked me out of her brother's arms and to my feet so that he ceremoniously fell face first into the floor.

We giggled at the sight of him, flailing arms and all, yet stopped as soon as we realized we were doing it together. It was awkward to say the least. I didn't know what to do and I doubt she did. We didn't know each other now. We didn't know these versions of ourselves that had grown up, that had loved and lost, that had experienced, that had lived without each other.

Yet she still reached out, unconsciously I suppose, to brush off any dirt that might have found its way on my person, mumbling out a "Good as new" when she'd finished and giving me a friendly pat on my shoulder.

It was something I'd expect...from the old Gretel. Something I thought the new one would never do again, and it made me wonder if she hadn't changed after all. If the old and the new were one in the same and if it was just me and Hansel that'd gotten it wrong.

We were never supposed to change, just evolve, into something better, older, wiser, more grown up. But I feared Hansel and I were still those two clumsy, foolish, in-love teenagers: orphaned, lost, lonely, seeking refuge in each other, in our shared situations, in the feelings we gave to one another.

And if we weren't those people anymore to the rest of the world, that's sure as hell what we were to each other.

Seemingly just as surprised by her actions as I was, the little girl I knew took a self-conscious step back. "I'm…" She started, with pink embarrassed cheeks, and then it was like a switch turned on in her mind for the mask returned and the new Gretel, the stranger I never knew, took her place. "Let's go." She ordered, strutting away without another word, and I followed after leaving Hansel, still moaning and groaning, in our stead.

* * *

_Daddy! Daddy! Please help me! I'm lost! Daddy please! Please help me! I'm lost! Daddy, I'm scared! I'm alone in the woods!_

"Such a beautiful recording. Did you do it all by yourself Hansel? It sounds just like you."

Just to get him to stop touching me. Just so that he would give me a few feet of space but when he finally understood my comment, the indication I was making towards his past, the look on his face was enough to make me regret it.

Yet he still tried to keep a lid on his anger and he didn't move from me. "We don't talk about that Charlotte. I thought you would've remembered that."

And suddenly my blood was boiling again and I didn't care what the hell hurt him. "And I thought you would've gotten over your mommy and daddy issues by now. What's the problem Hansel? Scared of abandonment? Scared to deal with your problems? You wanna run again? You're so good at that."

His hands curled into angry fists and his face turned a bright red. "

"Shut up both of you! It's like you don't see how fucking in love the two of you are!"

We both stopped, snapping our heads to her and whispering an unbelieving, "_What_?"

"She's close!" Jackson interrupted crashing through the trees.

I just stared at him, recovering from the bullshit that'd just come from Gretel's mouth. I could feel Hansel's presence still and unmoving next to me and I dared not look at him. His sister stood in front of us, mouth agape at the words she'd just spit out.

And all the while the record of the sad, lost boy played in the background.

"Hide," he stressed in the next breath, moving to follow his own advice without waiting to see if we did the same.

It was a moment later that Gretel snapped out of it and dived for the forest to wait and still seconds after that Hansel and I, with a quick yet meaningful and confused glance to each other, scurried off into the trees.


	18. Repeating History

"Unbelievable! You let her get away! You fucking let her get away!"

"Me?! It was you Hansel! It's always you!"

"Right! Blame it on me! Because it's always my fault right!? Everything's always my fault?!"

"Yes." I said, not so sure we were still talking about the escaped witch. "Everything's your fault Hansel. _Everything_."

His face dropped and I wanted to take it back. "I know." He whispered, looking away, so small and ashamed.

"Bullshit." Gretel growled, once again coming in between our quarrel. "It was both of you!" She glared us down one at a time, and we cowered back under her scrutiny like small tots. "It was your bitching and fighting, your whole entire past and unresolved issues...that you refuse to talk about by the way!"

I frowned at the ground, not wanting to listen, not wanting to hear. We went after the witch and summarily got our asses handed to us. We were covered in dirt and bruises and a little bit of blood here and there; but, most importantly, our pride was wounded and this whole "working together" seemed like a very bad idea at the moment.

It was obvious now that we didn't know how to work together anymore. We were clumsy and amatuerish. We made mistakes we shouldn't have, took risks we normally wouldn't dare take. And we let her get away.

(Funny how when they didn't know who I was, we'd worked so much better together.)

But the past had a way of fucking things up sometimes.

"Did you hear me?!" She screamed. I zoned back in and looked up to her angry, reddened face; she threw her hands up in the air like she was throwing us away, throwing it all away because she was so fed up.

And she had a right to be...if we were being honest. Because Gretel had done nothing wrong. But Hansel and I...

"We can't work like this! With you two at each other's throats! Like you're not fucking in love with each other! And don't look at me like that! Because we all know the truth! We're all here to kill the witches, save the town, and get paid! _So just...**fucking** fix it!"_

She stormed off then, grabbing her bow and stomping off into the forest, back towards the village. She was done, it seemed; and, of course she had a right to be. But what did she want? What did she expect? I didn't know _how_ to fix it.

And I didn't know if I really wanted to.

I didn't want to fix it if it meant I had to forgive him. Forgiving him meant repairing our relationship. Forgiving him meant going back to what we were. Forgiving him meant everything. And I had to hold on to that rage or I'd be right back where I started. Falling for him. Over and over. Deeper and deeper.

I couldn't do it again because I knew the second time around would leave me with more scars to bear. More wounds needing to heal. And my heart-oh my heart- would just...cease to exist. There would be a gaping hole, a gaping hole, right where he should be. Right where I knew I wanted him to be but shouldn't.

Hansel sighed next to me. "Charlotte. I think we should..._need_ to have this talk."

"I don't." The words were out of my mouth faster than lightning and in the next second I was running away even quicker.

His body tackled me to the ground and I fought and I fought but he had me pinned down: touching me, holding my wrists, kissing the tears that had fallen from my eyes, and I just couldn't take fighting him when he was this close.

So I gave up.

And he began to talk.

About when he first saw me. About becoming my best friend.

About our first kiss and our first time together. About holding me in his arms.

About our arguments. About my stubbornness. About my "kindness", "strength", and "love".

He replayed the story of us like it'd just happened; so clearly I could see it behind my closed eyelids.

And the tears kept coming and my chest grew heavy and my breathing grew shallow and when he finally stopped, all I could do was lie there. All I could do was lie there and say nothing. All I could do was keep seeing our used-to-be love and wonder where it had all gone, wonder if he saw it too.

If he wanted it back.

"Please let me go." I whispered.

His eyes bore down on mine, searching, searching, searching for something I didn't want to give.

"Please." I begged.

He ignored me, bending down slowly, slowly, slowly still until his forehead touched my own. I sucked in a breath at his closeness. He moved his lips a breadth from mine so that with every syllable our mouths brushed together, and he pushed me closer and closer to the edge of the cliff I so desperately was trying to stay away from.

"I can't." He said. "I loved you. I loved you so fucking much and Gretel said that time would help. But time would come and go and I would still think of you. I would still...love you."

Hansel pressed one small, barely there kiss against my lips; I held my breath. _Be strong Charlotte. Be strong._

"All time did was make it hurt worst. Because I fell so much harder for you. I fell so much more in love with you Charlotte. I can't let you go. Not again. Not ever again. Please don't make me. Come back to me. Forgive me. Love me again."

He was begging me now. Begging me to take him back, but here I was needing to beg him to let me go. Because there was no way in hell I would be able to say no when he was so determined to get me to say yes. But I knew I couldn't trust him...didn't I? I knew his words meant nothing. Hadn't that been proven enough?

But Hansel was Hansel and I was still weak little Charlotte. "Please. Hansel. Please don't."

"Please Charlotte. Please do. Take me back. Please just take me back." His voice grew sorrowful, desperate, and I had to close my eyes again to block him out. "Please. Please. Please."

If you knew anything, anything at all, about Hansel and Gretel, you knew they did not beg. They did not say please. They did not request. They took and they took and they took, when they were asked to and when they weren't.

But Hansel was asking. He was groveling. He was wanting. And I so desperately wanted to say no and yes at the same damn time.

I forced myself, forced myself, not to give in. "Why did you leave?" I whispered out.

His whole body stilled because I reminded him of the one thing he still hadn't explained. Because he could say anything he wanted-how much he loved me, how much he wanted me back-but it wouldn't explain his leaving. It would never justify it.

So I asked again, because it gave me strength. "Why did you fucking leave me Hansel?"

He gave a few inches and I pushed him back the rest of the way, my voice gaining in volume and strength.

"What did I do?! What did I ever fucking do for you to leave?!" My tone was firm, serious, clearly conveying there was no room for argument. I wanted answers now.

"You didn't-you didn't..." He stuttered.

I screamed now-tired of it all-and completely pushed him off of me. "What the fuck did I do Hansel?! Please tell me because I've gone years wondering what on earth I did for you to hate me so fucking much. For you to do this to me."

He was silent; and, we stared at each other, breathing so hard with so much restrained anger and hurt, on my part at least.

I stood to my feet, still burning with that hatred I remembered so well. I grabbed ahold of it, clenched it hard in my hands so I couldn't let it go again. "What did I fucking do to deserve to be treated that way? If it's all my fault that you left, that you felt the need to lie to me, then I would like to know so that I can stop going over every single moment with you. Every single moment that I know doesn't mean the same for me as it does for you. Every moment that made me fall even deeper in love with you but that made you despise me. So Hansel tell me what happened? Tell me what happened so that I can finally move on. So that I can finally stop playing this record in my head that's always filled with you."

"I don't want you too." He whispered, defeated under my angry tirade, but still not giving me an answer.

"You don't...want..." I let out a disbelieving laugh. "To tell you the truth Hansel I don't give a flying fuck what you want."

"No Charlotte." He grabbed my shoulders, rising to my level, as if to shake me. "I don't want you too. Because if I'm like a record to you you're like my favorite screenplay. I see you in my dreams and by some miracle when I open my eyes you're still here in reality. Something I can hear, smell...touch...taste." His eyes darkened. "I belong to you. I've belonged to you since that night in that fucking candy house and I want you to belong to me again."

"I was scared Charlotte. I was scared of losing you. I was scared of you losing me." His hands fell to my hips. "But I'm not scared anymore. I want this. Please baby I want this."

"But I _am _scared! And I _don't_ want this!" I screamed pushing him away. "Because _I'm_ the one that you scarred! Because I'm the one that you left behind! So no Hansel...I don't want to repeat history with you."

I took a step back, then another, getting as much space as I could between me and him. "I _loved_ you. I would've stuck with you until the end of time." I let out a harsh laugh. "This whole time I thought I was the coward. I thought I was the weak one but really it was you. _You_. The one who lied about loving me and took my virginity because I was _crying_. Because you were locked in a room with me. And then you left. Because you were _scared_."

A depressed sigh escaped my lips and I looked away from him, towards Augsberg, toward the past. "It's getting late. We'll try again with the witch tomorrow. And this time, there will be no fighting. I don't want to talk to you, so don't talk to me. We have a job; so, let's just get it done."

I didn't even chance a glance at him before I followed the path Gretel had taken, right out of the woods, hoping tomorrow would be a better than today.


	19. Same Old Story

_**A/N: This is for all of those, especially one in particular, who begged and pleaded for me to update. I did hear ****you and I'm sorry it took so long. Thank you for staying with this story and for wanting me to so desperately update. That honestly keeps me writing. **_

I found myself right back in the same spot in the same bar drinking the same fucking thing they passed off as _ale_ trying to drown my same sorrow, doing it because of Hansel, _fucking_ Hansel. Even as I walked away from him a hole drilled into my heart. Even as I protected _myself_, a part of me figured it wasn't worth it if it meant hurting **him** in exchange. Even as I told myself no, a part of me-a fairly large part of me-said yes. Even as I vowed to never love him again, that part of me said my heart would beat for Hansel until the day I died.

So here I was, sitting here trying to make that part disappear. Trying to quell the warring voices in my head. Trying to stop the arguing of my heart and mind. My stubborn pride and my deepest desire.

**Hansel. _Fucking_ Hansel.**

I slammed my cup back down to the counter and signaled for another one just as Gretel took a seat in the stool next to me. We sat in silence for a moment, though admittedly on my side my quietness was a side-effect of the shock. I thought she hated me. I thought we weren't friends. I thought-

"I don't remember you drinking this much." She said. Just that. Casual conversation. Small talk. A simple thing after all the heavy emotions I had to deal with today. Something I could work with.

"Growing up will do that to you. Turn you into a bitchy drunk." I gulped down another drink to prove my point and turned my body to her challengingly. The smile she gave me in response was unexpected, yet I gave no protests. Instead my fragile heart smiled along with her.

"Oh, you were already bitchy. Age didn't do that to you."

I slapped her arm playfully, afraid for a second that I'd gone too far in this charade we were playing. But she just let out a ringing laugh and pushed me back. We settled into another comfortable silence knowing that between us a wall had been broken down. A very small wall, but a wall all the same.

Maybe we could get back to where we used to be. Maybe we could be sisters again.

"Gretel-"

I cut off when I realized her whole body was turned in the opposite direction. Not paying any attention to me and I wondered what could have captivated her so.

She swiveled in the chair when I called her name, almost falling over, and stuttered out a reply. "Hu-huh-what?"

"What are you looking at?" My eyes followed the spot she'd just been so transfixed on to find one Benjamin Walser. The cute, bubbly, awkward, thieving Ben Walser, who was grinning adorably, in his element, surrounded by villagers and laughing boys, while Gretel, pretty and youthful Gretel, was sitting over here laughing with a loveless drunk. I turned back to her with a crooked smirk on my lips and a teasing sparkle in my eyes. "Or should I say _who_ are you looking at?"

I was suddenly filled with such a girly, giddy, childish urge for matchmaking. Envisioning how cute the two would look together. Imagining Gretel as the warrior princess and Ben as the brave (but very scrawny) knight. Dreaming how much I'd spoil their children.

"You should go talk to him." I suggested and practically shoved her up out of her seat earning us multiple looks, none of which was the one I wanted.

"No!" she proclaimed clutching the bar stool so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Yes!" I insisted pushing again.

"How can you be so strong?" She whispered aware of the eyes on us. "You're drunk."

"No I'm not." I hiccuped and pushed her harder.

She dug her feet into the ground, but inch by inch, with all my strength, I was pushing her closer to Benjamin. To the life she should have. Surrounded by people her age without a care in the world.

"Okay," she suddenly said, standing upright and making me fall to the floor. I hopped up so fast that I sent the room spinning; Gretel luckily caught me just in time and held on until my vision stilled.

"Okay?" I questioned squinting my eyes up at her suspiciously.

"Okay," she breathed glancing over to the group. "I'll go talk to him…" A manic smile stretched across my lips and I clapped my hands together in irrational glee. I didn't know why I was so happy. But I was. For Gretel. And maybe because I'd had a small part in orchestrating it.

"But if I do this...you have to talk to my brother too." She declared and the smile dropped. She just had to go and ruin it.

I slogged back to my seat not wanting to heed her demand and besides I'd already fucking talked to her brother and I'm sure it hadn't gone as Gretel was thinking it would. I sat back in my designated bar stool and cleared my throat. "How did you suddenly make this about me?"

She grinned cheekily at me slapping a hand to my shoulder. "Because if you're trying to help me with my love life, I definitely have to return the favor."

"Right." I spat sarcastically taking another gulp of my drink. "Well you, you meddling little bitch, are too late. We already talked. That's over and done with now."

"Yeah?" She said raising an eyebrow. "And how did that go?" Before I could even open my mouth she barreled on. "No, let me guess. _You talked_, and **he listened**. He said he wanted you back and _you said _**hell** _no_. He laid his heart out in front of you and you stomped all over it. Am I right? Is that how it went?"

There was no anger when she said it. She was just stating facts. Telling it like it was. How she saw it.

And I hated it. I hated to hear her speculations because then I would have to admit that to some capacity she was right.

I opened my mouth to defend myself but my mind was blurry and my thoughts wouldn't clear and Gretel was already speaking again. "I bet you brought up the past, and not the good part either, not the amazing, wonderful, fucking _years_ you spent together. I bet you brought up that _one night_, that one single night Hansel decided to put you before himself, that one night neither _you or him_ will ever forget."

Her whole body turned to me now, pantomiming the seriousness of the topic and I wondered how it'd escalated to this so quickly. How come the conversation always seemed to steer back to me and him. "You love him. He loves you. It's that easy. I don't understand why you two make it so fucking hard."

I shook my head as if that would make her words disappear. "We're not the same people." I stressed. "Maybe in another time-"

"In another time, in another place, in another life, you will still love him no matter what he did to you and he will still love you no matter how much he tries to push you away. I swear you two are the most stubborn people I've ever met, which makes you all the more _perfect_ for each other. Yet _you_ **refuse** to see that. Why?"

She was looking at me now. Genuinely looking for an answer that I couldn't give her.

I couldn't say anything. The words just wouldn't come and I could only stare at Gretel with wide eyes. Was this really what she thought of me? Of this new version of myself? That I was bitter and stuck on the past and mean and hurtful?

But wasn't I? Didn't I do the exact things she said I had? Didn't I talk and scream and rant? Didn't I hurt him too?

No. **No**, I told myself. _He _**hurt**_ me_. He couldn't play the victim. He couldn't play the brokenhearted.

But wasn't he? Hadn't I seen the tears in his eyes? Hadn't he said he loved me? Hadn't he begged and pleaded for me to take him back? And wasn't that night, that horrible yet magnificent night, so very long ago? Shouldn't I be over it by now?

But the sad truth was that I wasn't. Hansel had left, left me after taking such a precious thing from me, left me with such an ugly memory of us while he had a beautiful one of me in his arms, loving him, never wanting to let go. And he held on to that love while all I had was the rejection, the hurt, the pain.

My mind was so muddled, and between the drinks and the thinking and the reminder that I'd turned into such a bitter bitch, it was all too much. I tried to move away from it all and apparently my body hadn't wanted me to for it shut down taking me and my consciousness with it.


	20. I: Do Over

"You just love to get drunk and scare the shit out of me don't you?" His gruff voice murmured, cutting through my biting headache.

Hansel sat in a chair at my bedside, staring at me with a sullen expression on his face, the single candle flickering on the nightstand illuminating the displeased frown I knew so very well.

I jumped away from the sound of his voice clutching my head at the dizziness that resulted. Then sank back into the bed, closing my eyes to relieve the discomfort.

The bed dipped beside me as he sat down reaching out a hand to run through my hair. I immediately snatched away from him just to grunt in pain once more at my sudden movement.

"I don't remember you being this much of a lightweight." He tried to laugh out but I wasn't in the mood for any joke. "I mean-"

I sighed really just wanting to sleep off the drinks and deal with him tomorrow. "I thought I already told you how this was going to go Hansel. Why am I even surprised? You never listen, you-"

"Witch?" He offered sadly. "Liar? Son of a bitch?"

I looked up to him to study his eyes. They danced with so many emotions, too many to list, and that surprised me for Hansel was no open book. He had never been; and, even after knowing him for years, he still managed to keep himself a complete mystery.

Until now.

"What do you want Hansel?" I whispered squinting my eyes at him, trying to figure him out.

He ignored my question however and growled out as if angry at himself, "I understand what you said. I'm not stupid no matter how much you think I am."

I shook my head in frustration. "I never said-"

"It doesn't matter." He huffed. "It really doesn't." He let his eyes linger on me not quite looking _at_ me but like he was lost in his own mind, remembering the past, remembering who we used to be.

And then suddenly he had me in his arms.

My body froze completely. But he just kept talking as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

"For tonight." He started skimming his fingers down my back making me painfully aware that I only wore a flimsy white shirt to bed. Nothing else. "Just for tonight I want you to stop fighting me Charlotte. I want to hold you in my arms without being reminded of how much of an ass I was-am."

He cleared his throat, looking down to me in earnestness and I **_had to_** meet his gaze. "I want to be able to whisper how much I love you in your ear," He brushed his lips right where he just mentioned, and something awoke that had been dead long ago.

I let out a shaky breath.

"And wake up to your beautiful face." His hand moved up to cup my cheek and I leaned into it cherishing his words.

"I want a do over of that night Charlotte. I want to make it right. And when the sun rises, you can go back to hating me and I'll drop the fucking act I'm doing to try to impress you. I'll stop chasing. But tonight...can we just-"

His voice caught in his throat and he pulled me closer again, tucking my head into his neck. I could hear his rapid breathing, feel his heart beating hard against his chest.

He was...nervous. Hansel was nervous, an emotion I'd never seen him be in all the years I'd known him.

He cleared his throat and started again. "Can we just pretend like I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life all those years ago? Can we go back to that night after we made love so that I can do it all over again? Can I just give this one thing to you? Please? Please Charlotte."

He was offering to stop, to stop his chasing, to stop this new personality he'd suddenly adopted, to stop the bad memories from that night and replace them with good ones, with the ones I should have remembered.

And I had a really hard time saying no to that.

Something still festered inside of me that smiled at the sight of him, that tingled when I heard the sound of his voice, that loved the feeling of his arms wrapped around me, that pulsated at the memory of that night, that yearned to say yes to all he offered.

The deal was a good one, a great one actually-one I wanted. But my pride still stood in the way because in reality that night had ended horribly for me. It hadn't been a happy ending.

So I didn't give him an answer. I said nothing. Neither affirmation nor refusal. I stayed comfortably wrapped in his arms, telling myself it didn't mean anything but knowing the other half of me thought it felt so good to be back where I belonged. Finally.

He pulled me closer, taking my silence as confirmation and laid us down together.

I remembered his sister probably a little too late considering we'd just repaired our friendship and asked, "Where's Gretel?"

"Probably off gloating to all her friends that she finally got us together." His throat tremored as he spoke and I snuggled into his neck, loving the smell of him, knowing I'd missed it.

I smiled at his answer and teased, "What friends?"

"Oh you know Mina and...that kid Ben and...the bartender seemed nice too…"

I laughed at the ridiculousness of that, imagining Gretel gossiping with the big burly bartender.

"I missed that." He admitted quieting me instantly. It wasn't what he said per say; I just wanted to enjoy this fantasy without the reminder that in the morning everything would go back to normal.

"Let's not talk." I suggested, drawing a pattern on his chest with my finger.

He shivered under my touch and conceded. "Okay."

I let silence take over again as he skimmed a lone finger down my back. He stopped at the end of the shirt I wore then made his way back up. Over and over again.

I was being pulled back into the drug that was Hansel, pulled back into the hopefulness of tonight and I wanted my fill.

"Tell me how much you love me."

His motions paused for a moment before he unwrapped himself from me. I only had a second to feel the crushing disappointment from his withdrawal before he was above me running his fingers down my bare thighs in smooth simple patterns.

"I love you more than the sky and the moon, the Earth and the stars, the mountain and hills. I love you more than Romeo loved Juliet and more than you love to drink." I laughed at that running my hands through his hair as he spoke.

He gave my thigh a squeeze before continuing. "I love you more than hunting witches. I would give up this life for you Charlotte." And looking at his face, I could tell he was serious.

"There is no amount or number I can put on my love for you. It exceeds all measurements of man and gods alike. I love you. I will love you. For all of eternity, my heart will yearn for you. And from this morning and the next I need you to know that."

His eyes met mine so that I could see the sincerity in his words. Just when I was about to let him go, he makes me a believer in the thing I thought would never be true.

My eyes flooded with tears. After this night, everything would be over and I had blew the only chance at him getting him back.

How could I not have seen it before? Especially seeing how easily we conformed back to our old selves. Our old relationship. How easily I fell back in his arms. How comfortable and loved and warm I felt there.

I loved him. I loved us. I loved that even after years apart we could so easily transform back to that couple in love

And the whole time I thought it was Hansel but really I was a fucking fool too.

He leaned forward and brushed the water from my eyes. "Hansel I-" I wanted to tell him. I wanted to take back all the things I said in the past few days. I wanted a do over just like he'd said. I wanted us to be together again.

_Talk about a complete fucking 360 degrees, huh?_

"I know." He said. But he really didn't. He didn't know because I hadn't told him. Because I had fought him tooth and nail. But he still leaned closer and pressed his lips to mine wiping the tears away. And I still completely melted in his arms.

For tonight. Again. I gave my all to Hansel and no matter what, I could never regret it.


	21. II: Do Over

I woke up to fluttering kisses cascading across my face.

The birds were singing their joyous song. The sun was shining its brilliant rays. My skin was glowing with love, and the man beside me felt deliciously warm on this beautiful morning.

My eyes glided open wanting to savor this, wanting to ingrain in my mind the memory of his lips on my skin.

"Good morning." The man said greeting me with another sensual kiss.

"Good morning." The smile on my lips was as sweet as honey. My hands unknowingly found their way to his hair, stroking the strands with careful fingers.

He returned my happy gesture brushing his nose softly against mine.

"I love you." I announced, unable to hold the words back any longer. They were scratching away at the very edge of my throat waiting to be said over and over again.

He smiled against my skin, fashioning a tantalizing pattern as he went. "I love you more." His lips pressed against my naked throat...collarbone...breast; my breath hitched a beat. _The things he could do to me._ "And I wish...we could stay...in this place...in this moment...forever."

And I wanted to scream back to this man, this man I was so blindly in love with, _Why?_

_Why couldn't we stay here?_

_ Why was it our responsibility to save everyone else's asses? Why couldn't we be selfish for once? _

_Why couldn't I have realized what I wanted in the first place? Why did I push so hard?_

_Was it too late to go back to what we used to be?_

"But we can't," He interrupted crashing every shred of hope I had to the ground. "We can't because I made a promise to someone I love." He placed a kiss on my forehead and continued. "Plus we have people to save and money to make."

I cracked a smile at his humor, just watching him for a second, taking in his beautiful beautiful eyes knowing that I could get lost in them if I stared too long but not sure I even cared if I did, smoothing a hand over his cheek lovingly, nuzzling into his neck, before wrapping my arms around his shoulders one last time, pulling him close for one last kiss, and telling myself I wouldn't miss this.

I could feel his painfully apparent excitement digging into my thigh; and, I pressed myself closer to him. No matter if it would make me miss him more; no matter if I'd regret it later. The ache in my belly, in my core, could only be filled with this man, this man making me feel all kinds of things that I couldn't think of ever letting him go.

Maybe it didn't have to be over. By the way he was glued to my body, I would say he didn't want it to be. He wanted me. Plain and simple. So I could just tell him. I could tell him what a stupid fucking idiot I was for not chasing after him in the first place and dragging him back, for pushing him away the second time, for agreeing to one night instead of eternity.

I could tell him all of this and we could go running off into the sunset, the brave knight and fearless princess just like in Gretel's old bedtime stories. We could have a happy ending. For real this time.

But he shattered my illusion, pulling away so quickly I couldn't reach out to bring him back to me. And before I knew it the man that made me change my mind with a few heartfelt words was gone, and the Hansel I was used to had returned.

**A/N: Short but effective. Next time Hansel will be Hansel and Charlotte will have to get her shit together**.


	22. Overthrowing Augsberg

The second attempt at capturing a witch had gone off without a hitch. Whether it was Gretel and I's newfound friendship or that Hansel was finally heeding my advice, we set our trap and she fell right into it with minimal injury on our part.

On the other hand, and not so happily, Hansel was back, as promised, to his usual self. Emotionless. Detached. A stranger. Just a witch hunter doing his job.

I hated it, though this was what I'd wanted.

I'd wanted him to stop, to just stop because I was too weak to do it myself. I was too weak to turn my back on Hansel, and my recent revelation hadn't made it any better.

I loved him. With every fiber of my being, I loved him. His serious nature. His bouts of playfulness. His color-changing eyes and pink lips and barely there smile.

Now all of this was gone. He was gone.

He didn't speak one word to me. Didn't celebrate our successful capture. Just stood there stoically while me and Gretel shared our high fives and breaths of relief.

When we dragged the witch back, he was silent. When we locked her in a cell, he said nothing. When we discussed who should talk to her, he gave no comment. His apathy was worse than I'd ever seen, and I really couldn't take it.

It wasn't the time for me to be worried about Hansel, for me to be regretting, reminiscing, but that seemed to be all I could do; so, it was decided that Gretel and Hansel be the ones to question the witch.

It was time for interrogation, time to get back to business, and that meant we were that much closer to being torn apart, something I tried my hardest not to dwell on. I was going to lose my sister, again. I was going to lose my best friend, my confidant, the love of my life, and I couldn't do anything about it.

A shout from upstairs broke me out of my wallowing. "A girl! They need a girl born in April!" I immediately jumped into action, pushing past the unhappy Sheriff to get to the birth records. My heart was pounding to the beat of the papers in my hand, desperately trying to do something right, wanting to save a life, needing to save a life, to be useful, to do something good.

I found one. Only one and there grew a determination in me to get to her before they did. "Little girl. Born April 8th. She has to be it."

Hansel was there in seconds flat, snatching the paper from me and stalking over to the sheriff. "Where is the girl? Tell me, now!"

The insufferable man ignored him, rising to his feet but I got there first, knocking him right back down on his ass with an angry fist to his pretty little face. He grunted in protest and anger but got the hint, telling us immediately where she was.

"Go!" Gretel ordered, as soon as the words were out, as always taking charge. We obeyed without question.

We heard the screams just as soon as we raced out the door, screams of anguish and terror. I could feel the heat in the air as we approached from the fire burning brightly, spreading quickly through the buildings.

A man, looking desperate and out of his mind, grabbed me up by the collar of my shirt and pleaded for me to save his family, which were apparently still among those screeching for help and mercy in the crippling house.

I looked up at Hansel for approval but he hadn't even stopped. He was still racing away to get to the little girl. I didn't have time to feel saddened or angry at his blatant carelessness towards me for the man was already yanking me towards the furious flames, begging me for my help, pressuring me to agree. I did. So very easily because if I could help someone, anyone, I'd be doing something right.

When the fire was put out, and everyone that could be saved was, I was covered in soot and burns and physically and emotionally exhausted. I could finally let myself worry about Hansel and Gretel, at having not seen either of them in hours.

The sun was up in the sky high now, scorching the citizens of Augsberg, mocking their dead just burned by an unbelievable heat. I sat in the town's square leaned against the dilapidated fountain, trying to catch my breath before going to search for the siblings and listening to the mayor calmly try to pacify his people...just before the sheriff shot a hole through his neck.

His deputies smiled at the violence, eyes flashing wickedly to my weak figure. I flew to my feet, almost stumbling in the process but needing to move. I knew I was next. I knew this was an overthrow. I knew, I just knew I wouldn't be able to fight them off, but I also knew they'd have to take me over my dead body. (Which I guess is just what they intended). The townspeople backed off in fear of the coward, but I stood strong with the smoke in my system, with my weak bones, with no back up. The hell I would let this son of a bitch scare me. The hell I would go down without a fight.

"Not enough blood's been shed mayor. Not yet. Not until I'm bathing in the blood of you and your beloved witch hunters." He shot the good-natured man again, straight between his eyes before he turned a crooked smile to me. "Your turn will come soon enough."

I tried to escape, made my move as he spoke languidly to the scared, scarred citizens; I didn't make it far. His disciples shot out after me into the woods. They were faster. They were stronger. They had me pinned down in no time. I screamed in frustration, kicked and fought but I was so tired. I could feel it in every movement, in every muscle, in every bone.

"What are you going to do with me, you pig?!" I spat out when he showed his face, walking so infuriatingly slow towards my body. It killed me that I had to look up at the yellow-belly witch when he should be bowed down to me, the person trying to save his ass and his precious town.

"You? Well I don't want to give anything away but…" His lips jerked upwards, fighting a giddy smile. "_We __**are**_ _going to have __**lots**_ _of fun_."

My heart beat at the suggestiveness of his comment, lips curling disgustingly at the vision it created. I didn't want them to lay one finger on me, being killed by them was bad enough, but just imagining one of them inside of me, all of them inside me, it made me want to curl up and _beg_ to be thrown into the deepest darkest abyss. But I had to face reality. They could do whatever the hell they pleased. I was a damsel in distress and it didn't look like help was coming anytime soon.


End file.
